Menendez calls for Cyprus support

Turkey is once more undermining the stability of the East Mediterranean by violating the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Cyprus, American senator Bob Menendez said on Twitter.

He was speaking about the Turkish Navtex issued for the Oruc Reis.

In a post on Twitter, the head of the Foreign Affairs committee of the American senate called on the United States to stand by the side of Cyprus.

He also said the EU must fully support the vital interests of all its members.

Earlier the American senator had a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides.

The ministry said the conversation focussed on the latest illegal moves by Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean.

On Saturday Cyprus issued an anti-Navtex following Turkey’s announcement that the seismic ship Oruc Reis would be conducting research in the Eastern Mediterranean until December 16.

The Navtex includes an area in Cyprus’ EEZ to the north of the island, in an area from Kyrenia to Turkey.

The Turkish move follows the harassment of Maltese-flagged Nautical Geo, which had been carrying out surveys inside Cyprus’ EEZ, under the excuse it was violating the Turkish continental shelf.

The Nautical Geo was surveying the area between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete for the EastMed pipeline project before it was chased away by Turkish navy vessels.