While speaking in the Armenian Parliament on Wednesday Speaker of the Cypriot Parliament Yiannakis Omirou criticized Turkey's neo-Ottoman policy.
He said that for 40 years already Turkey has occupied part of Cyprus despite the international law. Omirou thanked Armenia for its support for Cyprus's struggle for its reunification. "We are aware of the high price you are paying for this support," he said.
Omirou said that contrary to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Turkey is trying to lay its hands on the rich natural resources of the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus.
He specified that Turkey's Barbaros ship, together with a group of military and service vessels, is currently navigating in the zone on the pretext of some seismic studies.
According to Omarou, Turkey's policy is causing instability in the region. He said that the Turkish authorities keep threatening Cyprus with military force if it continues exercising its legal and sovereign rights. "So, we were forced to stop our peace talks with Turkey and to adopt political and legal measures against that country," Omirou said.
He said that despite obstacles created by Turkey, Armenia and Cyprus must deepen their cooperation, must pool their efforts on the international arena and must use their diasporas for forming a single front against common enemy.