Cyprus Appeals to UN Over Turkish Gas Pipeline Scheme

Maria Michael, Cyprus’ permanent representative to the United Nations, addressed a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemning the memorandum of understanding signed between Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot leadership, according to Cyprus Mail.

Michael characterised the agreement as a provocative move that breaches international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions on Cyprus. She noted that preparatory work for the pipeline appears to have already begun, citing a navtex issued by Turkey last month alerting maritime traffic to planned seismic surveys in connection with the project.

While the initial surveys are reportedly taking place within Turkish territorial waters, Michael emphasised that they clearly signal Ankara’s intention to proceed with what she termed an illegal agreement.

Turkish Pseudostate Lacks Legal Standing

In her letter, Michael declared the pipeline agreement null and void, arguing that the Turkish Pseudostate in Northern Cyprus lacks international legal personality and therefore has no competence under international law to conclude international agreements or authorise projects affecting Cypriot territory, territorial waters, exclusive economic zone, or continental shelf.

The planned pipeline and related infrastructure are being undertaken without authorisation or consent from the legitimate government of the Republic of Cyprus, she wrote, constituting a clear violation of Cypriot sovereignty and an infringement of its rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Michael stressed that even though Turkey is not a signatory to the convention, its provisions reflect customary international law and are therefore binding.

Creating Faits Accomplis

The Cypriot diplomat warned that Turkey’s latest provocation comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as efforts continue toward resuming comprehensive settlement negotiations for the Cyprus problem. Such unilateral actions undermine confidence between the two communities and seek to prejudge the island’s future through irreversible developments, she argued.

Michael pointed out that Turkey is seeking to create another strategic infrastructure connection permanently linking the occupied north with the Turkish mainland, forming part of a longstanding policy of creating facts on the ground aimed at consolidating political, economic, and strategic control over the occupied territory.

The pipeline project cannot be viewed in isolation, she wrote, as it follows the unlawful construction of a subsea water pipeline between Turkey and the occupied areas and forms part of a broader systematic policy aimed at integrating the occupied territory into Turkey’s political and economic structures.

Bidirectional System Raises Alarm

Michael further noted that the proposed pipeline should not be viewed merely as an energy infrastructure project, as it would in fact consist of two parallel pipelines allowing the system to be bidirectional.

This bidirectional infrastructure is designed by Turkey to facilitate future transportation of natural gas resources extracted from maritime areas over which the Republic of Cyprus exercises sovereignty and sovereign rights, giving rise to additional legal and political concerns regarding Turkey’s intentions and plans, she warned.

With information from Cyprus Mail