Nicosia:The Republic of Cyprus has officially reported 659 violations by Turkish military forces to the United Nations, covering incidents from June and July 2026. This information was detailed in a letter from Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Maria Michail, addressed to the UN Secretary-General and dated September 29, 2026.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the letter, distributed on October 2, 2026, as a document of the UN General Assembly and Security Council, detailed 626 air violations and 33 naval violations. These incidents included breaches of Cyprus' national airspace, infringements of international air traffic regulations within the Nicosia Flight Information Region (FIR), violations of territorial waters, and illegal use of closed ports and airports in Cyprus.
The letter and its annexes highlighted that 203 of the air violations involved Turkish military unmanned aerial vehicles, while 192 involved Turkish armed military fighter aircraft. Additionally, Turkey conducted unauthorized military exercises, violating Cyprus' national airspace and illegally issuing a notice to airmen.
The annexes also documented the involvement of Turkish F-16 fighter aircraft and various military unmanned aerial vehicles, including BAYRAKTAR TB-2, ANKA, AKINCI, and AKSUNGUR, along with military helicopters and other aircraft. These entered the Nicosia FIR and Cyprus' national airspace without diplomatic permits or contacting Nicosia ACC.
Naval violations included Turkish warships, such as fast attack craft missile boats, frigates, submarines, landing ships, and offshore patrol vessels, which violated Cyprus' territorial waters and illegally used the closed ports of Famagusta and Kyrenia in their naval operations.
Ambassador Michail stated that the Turkish forces continue daily violations of the military status quo on the island while reinforcing their military presence and infrastructure in Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus. She described these actions as manifestations of Turkey's disregard for Cyprus' sovereignty and international law.
The ongoing violations and aggressive conduct by Turkey undermine efforts to build trust necessary for meaningful negotiations towards resolving the Cyprus issue, increasing the insecurity among Cypriots. Ambassador Michail reaffirmed Cyprus' commitment to supporting UN efforts and those of the Personal Envoy to achieve a comprehensive settlement that will reunify the country and its people, in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions.