Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides has assured that that the Republic of Cyprus is following closely developments as regards Turkish provocations within Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone and has already set in motion our side`s reaction.

Christodoulides was replying on Saturday to a journalist`s question on the matter after the funeral, in Pafos, of Maria Zoupaniotis, Director of the Press and Advisory Office at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the United Nations.

At the same time he reiterated what he has repeatedly said in past days, as he pointed out, that “we don`t consider that public statements serve our goal.”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third. The invasion followed a Greek junta backed coup against the then President of Cyprus, the late Archbishop Makarios. UN-backed talks, currently underway, aim to reunite the island under a federal roof.

A navigational warning (Navtex) was issued by Turkey last Wednesday seeking to reserve an area within the territorial sea, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of Cyprus off the coast of Famagusta for the conduct of seismic surveys, between 21 April and 30 June 2017, by the survey vessel “Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa” and support vessel “Bravo Supporter”.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Thursday pointed out that the Navtex “was issued by an incompetent authority and is, therefore, invalid”, noting the competence for the issuance of Navtex concerning the reservation of areas within the search and rescue region of Cyprus belongs to the Republic of Cyprus. “In this context, proper actions were taken in order to inform all interested parties in relation to the invalidity of the Turkish NAVTEX”.