Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Markoulli has questioned Turkish Piri Reis ship`s capability to conduct research, noting that the government of Cyprus is following Piri Reis` and other ships` route in the Mediterranean, making all necessary representations.

Replying to questions about Piri Reis’ deployment in the Mediterranean, where according to the Turkish side it began geophysical and seismic research, Markoulli said that Cypriot officials are informed on these issues on a daily basis and added: “Allow me to question Piri Reis’s role. We following the movement of the Turkish fleet and of some other research vessels commissioned by the Turkish government and all Turkish military actions are being followed by the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry and other government departments”.

She added that the Foreign Ministry has the mandate to make representations on a daily basis and inform all members of the international community which must be informed and act when the time is right.

Invited to say if Piri Reis has begun to conduct research, Markoulli noted that “research has not started for sure”, recalling that Piri Reis is nearly 40 years old. She noted that if the vessel had the appropriate equipment for research then the Turkish government would not have concluded an agreement with foreign companies to conduct seismic research as has been announced.