Written Question regarding the harassment of the aircraft carrying the Defense Ministers of the Netherlands, France, and Greece to the Informal Council of Defense Ministers was submitted by Yannis Maniatis, Vice-President of the Socialist Group and Head of the PASOK Eurogroup.
As noted in the question, this harassment by the so-called control tower of the illegal airport in the Occupied Territories is particularly significant as it took place on the sidelines of an informal meeting of European Defense Ministers under the Cypriot Presidency and was even accompanied by the takeoff of a pair of Turkish F-16 fighter jets, constitutes yet another provocation by the Turkish Occupation Forces and a violation of Cyprus’s sovereign rights.
For this reason, he asks the European Commission to inform him how it will ensure the safety of air transport from such interference by the occupying authorities. Furthermore, in light of Turkey’s exclusion of Cyprus from the preliminary negotiations and meetings for COP 31 in Antalya, he highlights the need for the Commission to ensure that this does not happen again.
The full text of the question follows:
“According to reports, the planes carrying the Defense Ministers of the Netherlands, France, and Greece to Cyprus for the Informal Council of Defense Ministers were harassed via radio as they approached the illegal airport in Tympou in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus.
In fact, a pair of Turkish F-16 fighter jets took off from the occupied area, though they remained at a distance from the aircraft carrying the three European defense ministers.
This incident, which takes on particular significance as it occurred on the sidelines of an informal meeting of European defense ministers under the Cypriot Presidency, constitutes yet another provocation by Turkey’s occupying forces, and a violation of Cyprus’s sovereign rights. Moreover, it was only recently that Turkey excluded Cyprus from the preliminary negotiations ahead of COP 31 in Antalya.
The European Commission is asked:
1. Is the Commission aware of this incident?
2. How will it ensure the safety of air transport from the disruptions caused by the illegal airport operated by Turkey in the occupied territories?
3. What assurances has it received from Turkey and the United Nations that Cyprus will participate in all relevant meetings and negotiations, as well as in the COP 31 meetings themselves in Antalya?”