A total of 989 airspace violations and 45 maritime infringements by Turkey between July and December 2024 were reported by Cyprus’ Permanent Representative to the UN Maria Michael in a letter submitted to the United Nations (UN) on Monday.

“This behaviour undermines stability, peace and the prospects for a just and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem within the framework of the Security Council resolutions,” Michael said.

Turkey’s actions, she added, would violate the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus and, by extension, the Charter of the UN.

In her letter, Michael also condemned Turkey’s actions in the buffer zone and the fenced-off area of Varosha, accusing Ankara of showing “contempt for international law.”

She noted that “the illegal transformation of the closed area continues unabated,” despite UN Security Council Resolution 550 (1985) and repeated calls from the Council.

Meanwhile, she said, Turkey was “promoting a two-state solution while diplomatic efforts are underway to restart talks.”

“The continuous upgrading of military infrastructure in the already heavily militarised occupied areas is only part of Turkey’s ongoing aggressive behaviour in Cyprus,” the ambassador said.

With it’s actions, Ankara revealed its intentions to “perpetuate the occupation” and  seriously endanger “not only the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, but also the stability of the entire troubled region.”

Out of the 1,034 total violations, Michael said 264 were carried out by Turkish military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

She added that Turkey had illegally issued 5 NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) and 12 NAVTEX (Navigational Telex) for military exercises violating Cypriot airspace.

NOTAMs and NAVTEX are official safety alerts used to warn pilots and ships about hazards like military drills or closed areas. Only the country with control over a specific area can issue them.

In February, Turkey sent a similar letter to the UN through its Permanent Representative Ahmet Yildiz, passing on claims from the self-proclaimed ‘representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ Mehmet Dana that planes from Greece and Cyprus had entered the airspace over northern Cyprus without permission, calling the actions provocations and violations of sovereignty.