[SEE: International tolerance “enhances Turkey’s criminal behavior” – Omirou ; Greece, Egypt, Cyprus urge Turkey to quit gas search off island ; ANKARA WARNS UN THAT FEW OPPORTUNITIES REMAIN FOR CYPRUS]
Tensions high as Turkish ships camp in Cyprus EEZ, Nicosia to announce measures tomorrow
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“Turkey is acting as if it wants to send some sort of message. The fact that it is not bluffing, does not mean that its tactics will work or that at the end of these actions it will work in its favour,” he said.
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• Monday, 20 October, 2014
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The Turkish seismic exploration vessel “Barbaros” entered Cyprus`s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) earlier in the day.
The move comes a few days after Turkey issued a maritime order, or NAVTEX, for the area.
It is understood that the measures to be taken by Nicosia will be be political, diplomatic and legal and the aim is to “have an outcome”.
Meanwhile, Greece`s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos has stated presence of the Turkish research vessels constitutes a “brutal violation of the international law of the sea”.
Defence sources in Nicosia have said that authorities are monitoring the Turkish Barbaros vessel and were “ready to deal with any eventuality”.
Earlier, Defence minister Christoforos Fokaides told CyBC Radio that the actions of Ankara were “provocative and illegal”.
He said their ships were being closely monitored.
“Turkey is acting as if it wants to send some sort of message. The fact that it is not bluffing, does not mean that its tactics will work or that at the end of these actions it will work in its favour,” he said.
At a lunch for Foreign Correspondents at the Presidential Palace, the government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said that the current crisis was “the most serious” escalation of the dispute with Turkey that Cyprus had faced in over 30 years.
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