According to Cypriot media reports, a Turkish Coast Guard vessel fired a warning shot on Friday (July 16) to a Cyprus police vessel that it was patrolling undocumented immigrants near the northern coastline of the island.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is preparing to visit the northern Turkish Cypriot highway next week to commemorate the anniversary of Turkey’s 1974 invasion.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, the Cypriot vessel spotted the Turkish Coast Guard about 11 nautical miles from the small fishing port of Kato Pyrgos, which is located west of the armistice line patrolled by the United Nations, separating government-controlled territory from the separated north.
Cyprus Police spokesman Christos Andreou told CNA that the coast guard patrol boat was in Cyprus’ territorial waters at 3:30 am (0030 GMT) at the time of the incident.
He said that the ship patrols regularly to check illegal immigrants because the area is a drop-off point for immigrants from Turkey.
“The three crew members of this patrol boat saw the Turkish Coast Guard’s intentions, tried to avoid any accidents, and sailed towards the fishing grounds of Kato Pyrgos,” he said.
“Four nautical miles from the shelter, the coast guard ship received a warning from the Turkish Coast Guard.
“Then, not far from the coast, the Turkish Coast Guard went to the occupied territory” (Northern Cyprus), he said.
Tensions have been high until Erdogan visits the island next week, when he will be seen by the Greek Cypriots as a provocative trip to the abandoned beach resort of Varosha, which was invaded by Turkey. And emptied the Greek Cypriots.
Since the influx of Syrian immigrants into its reception center, the Cyprus government declared a “state of emergency” in May, and the Cyprus police have stepped up land and sea patrols.
Nicosia said that most of the migrants from the seceded north entered government-controlled areas illegally through the buffer zone patrolled by the United Nations.
‘Extremely difficult situation’
Cyprus is the easternmost member of the European Union and has received the highest percentage of asylum applications per capita in the European Union for four consecutive years.
Nicosia has asked the European Union to help prevent illegal immigrants from Turkey from flowing before arriving in Cyprus, which is equivalent to an arrangement reached by Greece in 2016.
“Despite the great efforts of the Cypriot authorities to deal with the disproportionate immigration pressure, we are still in an extremely difficult position,” Interior Minister Nicos Nouris told reporters in June.
He said that the island was divided by a 180-kilometer ceasefire line that “created unique conditions for the development of irregular migration.”
He said that the proportion of applicants to beneficiaries of international protection in Cyprus is equivalent to 4% of the country’s population.
He said: “Unfortunately, in the first few months of 2021, an increasing number of irregular entrants, especially Syrian nationals, whether arriving by sea or overland via the Green Line, indicate a worrying situation. the trend of.”
“The continued presence of large numbers of immigrants from Turkey is the main challenge facing Cyprus.”
