Tag Archives: Cyprus

Egypt and Greece on Sunday said a deal allowing Turkish hydrocarbon exploration in Libya’s Mediterranean waters was “illegal” as Athens said it would oppose it by all “legal means.” On Monday, Turkey said it had signed a memorandum of understanding on exploration for hydrocarbons in Libya’s seas with the authorities …

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused Greece on Saturday of occupying islands in the Aegean Sea that have a demilitarised status and said Turkey was prepared to “do what is necessary” when the time comes. Historic rivals while also being fellow members of NATO, Turkey and Greece have been at odds …

The boat capsized shortly after leaving the northern coastal town of Qalamoun near Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-largest city. The Lebanese Red Cross said on social media that a boat with about 60 people on board sank near the port of Tripoli on Saturday. Several ambulances were sent to the port. “The …

Lebanon is ready to work with Cyprus to exploit potential gas deposits in waters between the two east Mediterranean countries, Lebanon’s top diplomat said Friday, even though a deal on offshore rights hasn’t been formally finalized. Cyprus and Lebanon signed an agreement delineating their respective offshore exclusive economic zones in …

An earthquake struck off the Greek island of Karpathos early on Tuesday, shaking towns and cities across the eastern Mediterranean, witnesses and media said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage, however. “Really felt that one… Lasted for 30 seconds,” a witness in Lindos, Rhodes, said in …

A Turkish drone base in the breakaway north of ethnically divided Cyprus could increase safety risks for thousands of commercial flights that cross the airspace around the eastern Mediterranean island, a flight safety group warned Tuesday. FSF-Med, an NGO affiliated with the Washington, D.C.-based International Flight Safety Foundation, said the …

Greece appointed its first civil protection minister on Monday in a broad revamp of its civil defense mechanisms following sharp criticism of the government’s response to a spate of devastating wildfires this summer. The new minister is Christos Stylianides, a former European Commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management. During …

The government of Cyprus said on Monday it would revoke the passports of Turkish Cypriot officials in the breakaway state in the northern part of the island. A number of Turkish Cypriot officials, including incumbent leader Ersin Tatar, are known to hold or held passports of the Republic of Cyprus, …

The EU on Tuesday told Turkey to reverse plans to open up the Cypriot ghost town of gr, announced during a controversial visit by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the divided island. The 27-nation bloc, which includes the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, condemned “Turkey’s unilateral steps and the unacceptable …

France on Wednesday criticized a move by Turkish Cypriot authorities to partially reopen an abandoned town in Cyprus for potential resettlement, calling it a “provocation.” Turkish Cypriots said on Tuesday that part of Varosha would come under civilian control and people would be able to reclaim properties – angering Greek …

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday peace talks on the future of ethnically divided Cyprus can take place only between “the two states” on the Mediterranean island. In a speech in the divided Cypriot capital of Nicosia, Erdogan reiterated Turkey’s position in a dispute that is damaging Turkey’s relations …

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heads to Northern Cyprus to mark the anniversary of Turkey’s 1974 invasion, a visit that is bound to draw the ire of Greek Cypriots. Erdogan will embark on the two-day trip to the Turkish Cypriot-controlled northern territories on Monday. He is scheduled to meet with …

Four people were found dead as a huge fire raged for a second day in Cyprus, razing tracts of forest in a blaze one official called the worst on record. The blaze, fanned by strong winds, affected at least 10 communities over an area of 50 square kilometres (19 square …

Turkish guards have detained dozens of refugees who had been strip-searched and beaten by Greek forces and forcibly pushed across the border, a local media report says. Turkey’s Daily Sabah newspaper, quoting Turkish Defense Ministry sources, reported on Tuesday that some 42 refugees, including a dozen naked individuals, had been …

As the country emerges from its third partial lockdown, authorities in Cyprus have introduced a coronavirus “safety pass” system to afford at least some semblance of freedom of movement to its (vaccinated) citizens. Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou described the initiative as “a step towards returning to a more normal pace …

High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on Sunday urged Turkey to immediately end renewed drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. “I call on the Turkish authorities to end these activities immediately and to engage fully and in good faith in a …

France’s president on Thursday said it would be a serious error by the European Union to not respond to provocations in the Eastern Mediterranean and said he wanted more sanctions on those who violated Greek and Cypriot maritime space. Emmanuel Macron’s comments come after Turkey’s navy on Tuesday issued an …

Turkey on Sunday called for the European Union to end what it said was the bloc’s prejudice against Turkish Cypriots, defending its launch of a fresh round of hydrocarbon drilling off the Mediterranean island, Reuters reported. Turkey began drilling for oil and gas near Cyprus last year despite warnings from …

Multiple explosions have rocked an arsenal on the northern coast of Cyprus, injuring several people, while a huge blaze has been ravaging the facility. A fire broke out at the depot in the city of Kyrenia, de facto controlled by the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, on Thursday morning. …

Cypriot authorities have arrested a group of 12 Israelis on suspicion of gang-raping a 19-year-old female tourist in the country’s Mediterranean resort town of Ayia Napa. The English-language daily newspaper Cyprus Mail reported on Wednesday that the Israeli citizens raped the woman in the hotel, where she has been staying …