Cyprus to the UN: 626 Turkish airspace violations in two months – landing ships, submarines and frigates in the ports of Famagusta and Kyrenia

The Republic of Cyprus has reported to UN Secretary-General António Guterres 626 violations of its national airspace and 33 violations of its territorial waters by Turkish military assets in June and July 2026. The figures are contained in a letter from Cyprus’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Maria Michael, written on September 29 on the instructions of the government. It was circulated on October 2 as an official document of the General Assembly and the Security Council (A/81/406–S/2026/772), under the item “The question of Cyprus”.

626 airspace violations

Of the 626 airspace violations, 203 were by Turkish military unmanned aircraft, 63 by military helicopters and 360 by military aircraft, among them 192 F-16 fighters. The annexes also list A400M, ATR-72 and CN-235 transports, the E-7T airborne early-warning aircraft and the TB2, ANKA and AKSUNGUR UAVs.

In each case, the letter notes, the aircraft entered the Nicosia FIR and the national airspace without diplomatic clearance and without contact with the Nicosia Area Control Centre. Cyprus also protests against Turkish military exercises held without approval and against the unlawful issuing of NOTAMs.

Turkish warships in occupied ports

At sea, the annexes name the vessels that used the ports of occupied Famagusta and Kyrenia.

In June the fast patrol boat KILIÇ was in Famagusta for the whole month; the landing ship TCG Osmangazi entered Cypriot territorial waters and the port of Famagusta on various dates between June 17 and 24; and the submarine PIRIREIS did so from June 17 to 19. The patrol boat KARATAŞ is recorded from June 7 to the end of July, mainly in Famagusta, and the KDZ EREĞLİ at Kyrenia from June 9 to 30.

In July, the frigate GÖKOVA and the submarine İNÖNÜ used the port of Kyrenia from July 19 to 21, while the fast boats ZIPKIN and BORA appear in the middle of the month.

A deadlocked Cyprus problem

Nicosia writes that the violations, together with the continuing military build-up in the occupied areas, undermine the trust needed for meaningful negotiations to resume, and it reaffirms its commitment to a comprehensive settlement based on the Security Council resolutions.

The letter is made public as the Cyprus problem is again at an impasse, with President Nikos Christodoulides saying that the Turkish Cypriot side sets conditions for the resumption of talks. Letters of this kind are filed by Nicosia regularly, so that the Turkish violations remain recorded in the official UN archives.