ISTANBUL

Türkiye on Thursday criticized the renewed Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) delimitation agreement signed between Lebanon and the Greek Cypriot Administration, saying the deal ignores the rights of Turkish Cypriots and does not represent the island as a whole.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli addressed the issue in a post shared on US social media company X, noting that the Greek Cypriot Administration has signed bilateral maritime delimitation agreements with regional coastal states since 2003 without the participation of Turkish Cypriots, whom he described as the “co-equal people of the island.”

Keceli said the latest agreement between Lebanon and the Greek Cypriot Administration was originally concluded in 2007 but did not enter into force until it was re-signed on Nov. 26.

Although the area covered by the agreement lies outside Türkiye’s continental shelf, which Ankara registered with the UN on March 18, 2020, he said Türkiye views the issue within the broader Cyprus dispute and considers the rights of Turkish Cypriots central to any maritime arrangement.

“Any agreement signed by Lebanon or other littoral states with the Greek Cypriot Administration closely concerns the equal rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots on the Island,” he said, reiterating that the Greek Cypriot side does not represent Turkish Cypriots or the entire island and lacks the authority to take unilateral steps on matters involving all of Cyprus.

Keceli urged regional actors and the international community not to endorse unilateral initiatives by the Greek Cypriot Administration, saying such moves undermine the legitimate rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots.

“Türkiye, together with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, will continue to resolutely defend the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots,” he added.