Civil aviation authority: Turkish aircraft in Cypriot airspace a ‘recurring fact’

The presence of Turkish aircraft in Cypriot airspace is a “longstanding and recurring operational fact”, the civil aviation authority said on Thursday, after the Cyprus air traffic controllers’ union had earlier warned that flight safety in and around the island is “affected” by Turkish aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles in the region. Air traffic controllers, the authority said, are “called upon to manage” the presence of Turkish aircraft in Cypriot airspace “on an almost daily basis”. It said that therefore, issues such as actions taken by air traffic controllers to prevent a British Tui Airways Boeing 737 passenger jet and a Turkish air force Airbus A400M military transport aircraft from flying too close to one another are “not … unprecedented or unforeseen”. As such, it said, “it is therefore important to distinguish the existence of a recurring operational phenomenon from the actual aviation safety situation”. “The problems caused by Turkey in Cypriot airspace, whether the illegal operation of Tymbou airport and the interference with flights, or with military aircraft flights, are known and continuously managed, requiring increased vigilance in order to maintain the requisite level of flight safety,” it said. It added that “the timely recognition and effective management of such situations by the personnel is precisely an indication of the effectiveness of the air traffic control system”. “Safety remains the absolute priority of the competent services and operational personnel have the training, experience, and procedures required to safely manage even particularly demanding situations,” it said. Airspace in and around Cyprus is disputed, with the Turkish Cypriot authorities operating their own air traffic control system out of northern Nicosia, and the Republic of Cyprus’ civil aviation authority nonetheless claiming responsibility for the airspace covering the whole island and its vicinity. In addition, the Turkish Cypriots have since 1975 operated Tymbou (Ercan) airport as a passenger airport, with the exception of a 20-month period between 2002 and 2004 when it was closed for renovations and the Lefkoniko airbase was used. The airport’s operation is considered illegal by the Republic of Cyprus. The “interference” to which the authority alluded allegedly took place in June, when the Republic of Cyprus accused the Turkish Cypriot authorities of “interfering” with communication between air traffic control and aircraft carrying ministers from Greece, France and the Netherlands to the island for a summit of EU defence ministers in Nicosia. The Turkish Cypriots denied this at the time, with Turkish Cypriot air traffic controllers’ trade union leader Kursad Hudaverdioglu telling the Cyprus Mail that the allegation constitutes “a completely politically motivated, misrepresentation of a news story”, and that “the matter has nothing to do with harassment”. Earlier on Thursday, the union had said that Turkish aircraft and drones are “operating almost constantly along critical routes and near the two aerodromes of Cyprus”, Larnaca and Paphos airports. Disputed airspace above and around Cyprus has caused disputes in the past, with both Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus issuing notices to airmen (Notam) regarding possible military activities in the skies above and around the island in March after both Turkey and Greece deployed F-16 fighter jets to the island following a drone strike on the British Akrotiri air force base. Initially, the Republic of Cyprus had issued a Notam regarding “possible military operations” in the skies off the coast of the Karpas peninsula, irking the Turkish Cypriot authorities, who then issued their own Notam. That Notam advised “all aircraft in the region” to “take maximum precautions to ensure flight safety, carefully follow the published aeronautical information, and act in coordination with the relevant air traffic units”. At the same time, the north’s ‘transport ministry’ had expressed disappointment that it had been issued without the Turkish Cypriot authorities’ consent, saying that “the TRNC … is the sole authorised authority responsible for providing air traffic and aeronautical information systems within its airspace”. Later, Turkish defence ministry spokesman rear admiral Zeki Akturk declared the initial Notam to be “null and void”, saying that the Turkish Cypriot authorities had issued a “counter-Notam” which “invalidated the aforementioned Notam”. More recently, the Turkish defence ministry has announced the conducting of training flights in the eastern Mediterranean, stating on July 21 that one such flight had been operated “in the international airspace of the Mediterranean, south of the island of Cyprus”. Other such Turkish air force training flights have taken place in the skies south of Cyprus in previous months, with the Turkish defence ministry having announced the conducting of such flights both in February this year and in November and December last year. The air traffic controllers’ union’s statement comes after Greek newspaper Kathimerini had reported on Tuesday that Turkish military aircraft and drones had “violated Greek airspace on 25 occasions” during that day. “All the violations took place over the Aegean Sea, while eight involved Turkish F-16 fighter jets – two of which were armed – and 17 were committed by drones. Greek officials said the incoming aircraft were all identified and intercepted,” the newspaper reported. It added that on one occasion, a “simulated dogfight” had broken out between Turkish and Greek fighter jets, with both pilots manoeuvring to try to secure an advantage which in wartime would allow them to shoot their opponent down. Tuesday’s incident, the newspaper reported, was the eighth such simulated dogfight to have taken place this year. As in the case of Cyprus, Turkey and Greece disagree over the limits of their respective airspaces in the Aegean Sea.