The issue of maritime jurisdiction in the Mediterranean is the subject of a think tank in Rome.
The event was organized by the Turkish Naval Forces.
Speaking at the panel, Vice Admiral Yalçın Payal, Chief of Staff of the Turkish Naval Forces, emphasized that “all steps to be taken in the region should be taken in consultation with the riparian states, emphasizing that the Greek Cypriot Administration of South Cyprus does not represent the whole island or the Turkish Cypriots.
The first day panels of the “MED Mediterranean Dialogue Forum”, organized for the 10th time this year in Rome by the Italy-based think tank International Institute for Political Studies (ISPI) with the contributions of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been completed.
At the forum “Naval Power in the Mediterranean: Shaping Global Influence” was discussed.
In his speech at the panel, Vice Admiral Yalçın Payal, Chief of Staff of the Turkish Naval Forces, emphasized that the rights of the Turkish Cypriot People in the Mediterranean cannot be ignored.
“All steps to be taken in the region should be taken in consultation with riparian states” said Payal.
“There are two things that are important for Türkiye: One; the fair determination of maritime jurisdiction areas, and two, the rights of Turkish Cypriots should be given, because the Greek Cypriot Administration of South Cyprus does not represent the whole island or the Turkish Cypriots,” said Payal.
Emphasizing that Türkiye has the longest coast in the Eastern Mediterranean, Payal said, “Despite this, some states aim for Türkiye to receive less maritime jurisdiction than it deserves. It should be taken into account that any attempt to exclude Türkiye from the determination of legitimate maritime jurisdictions in the region is unacceptable.”
Stating that there has been peace in Cyprus for 50 years and that they are in favour of a two-state model in which the Turkish Cypriot people will feel secure and equally sovereign, Vice Admiral Payal said, “We see it as a critical issue that our allies and partners are not part of or party to initiatives that put the current peaceful situation on the island at risk.” brt
