The French navy will carry out an exercise off the coast of Cyprus on Monday, for which the government has issued a Navtex.

The exercise will be carried out between 10am and 5pm.

At the same time a war of Navtexes has broken out between Cyprus and Turkey over the Turkish research ship Bilim 2.

Cyprus has reported the Turkish Navtex for scientific research as it covers part of the island’s continental shelf.

Ankara then issued an anti-Navtex which questioned the sovereignty of the Cyprus republic.

Bilim 2 has been north of the island for the last few days off the coast of Yialousa.