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

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

The latest agreement, originally concluded in 2007, was re-signed on Nov. 26 and only recently entered into force. While the area covered lies outside Türkiye’s continental shelf—which Ankara registered with the UN on March 18, 2020—Keceli emphasized that Türkiye views the deal within the broader context of the Cyprus dispute. He stated that the rights of Turkish Cypriots are 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,” Keceli said, stressing that the Greek Cypriot side does not represent Turkish Cypriots or the entire island and lacks the authority to act unilaterally on matters affecting all of Cyprus.

He called on regional actors and the international community not to endorse unilateral initiatives by the Greek Cypriot Administration, warning that such moves undermine the legitimate rights 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,” Keceli added.

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