South Cyprus Alleges Turkish aircraft conducted surveillance in Yeri and Denya regions

According to statements reported in the press, the South Cyprus government expressed concern about flights in the Denya region.

Fileleftheros newspaper's headline, "Aircraft Was Photographing... Turkish Plane Causes Disturbance in Yeri and Denya Regions... Nicosia Takes Action at the UN," highlighted the news. South Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides described the Turkish aircraft's "illegal reconnaissance in the buffer zone" and announced their intention to take action at the United Nations and European Union (EU) levels.

Responding to a journalist's question, Christodoulides stated, "I am concerned about all incidents every day, especially in this context. Therefore, we will undertake specific initiatives."

Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos stated that there were two separate incidents, with the aircraft operating in the Yeri region on Wednesday and the Denya region on Thursday. He mentioned discussing both incidents during a "routine" meeting with RMMO Commander Dimokritos Zervakis.

Kombos added that UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, was invited to the ministry to take action regarding the incidents. Kombos stated, "Based on the incident, we will react or escalate our reaction. In such cases, the expected action was for Stewart to conduct his own investigation and take necessary steps with the other side. According to the incident, we want it recorded in the Security Council report."

The South Cyprus government expects the incidents along the buffer zone to be formally recorded in the upcoming reports of the UN Secretary-General. Kombos explained that not all incidents encountered by Stewart could be included in a report, saying, "It's not an easy task. When we identify the issues we believe should be emphasized and unacceptable actions, we take action."

In another article, the newspaper mentioned that Kombos would travel to Brussels tomorrow to attend the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting scheduled for May 22.

Alithia newspaper covered the news with the headline "Activities in Denya Prompt Reactions at the EU and UN... Nicosia Protests Illegal Flights of Turkish Air Force."

According to the Cyprus News Agency (KYPE), UN Peacekeeping Force Spokesperson Aleem Siddique provided a general and vague statement, confirming their communication with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ongoing investigation into the incident.

Haravgi newspaper covered the topic under the title "Initiative Regarding Flight of Turkish Aircraft."