# Cyprus-Turkey maritime and airspace disputes

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/cyprus-turkey-maritime-and-airspace-disputes
> Updated: 2026-10-25T21:58:00.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

The Republic of Cyprus has escalated its diplomatic efforts at the United Nations to address ongoing tensions with Turkey regarding sovereignty and maritime rights. In October 2026, Cyprus filed a formal complaint detailing 659 violations by Turkish air and naval forces occurring during June and July. These incursions included 626 aerial breaches involving military drones—such as the Bayraktar TB-2, Anka, Akinci, and Aksungur—and fighter jets like the F-16, as well as 33 maritime violations involving various naval vessels entering Cypriot territorial waters and utilizing the closed ports of Famagusta and Kyrenia. Following these reports, Cyprus expressed further concern to the UN regarding the re-approval of the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum by the Libyan House of Representatives in Tobruk. This decision establishes an economic maritime corridor between southern Turkey and northern Libya to secure rights to undersea gas and oil reserves. The ratification has triggered intense diplomatic opposition, as Greece and Egypt argue the deal violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and ignores the sovereign rights of Greek islands. On October 23, 2026, Ambassador Maria Michael asserted to the UN Secretary-General that Libya’s sovereignty must not be ‘subordinated to the geopolitical ambitions of third states.’ In response, Egypt is preparing a comprehensive legal dossier with international law experts to challenge the memorandum, which Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has labeled ‘absolutely null and void’ due to its infringement on Egypt’s exclusive economic zone. The U.S. State Department has also described the ratification as ‘unhelpful and provocative.’ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has defended the agreement, dismissing objections from the European Union as lacking a legal basis.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-25: U.S. State Department criticizes Turkey-Libya maritime deal

The U.S. State Department has labeled the ratification of a Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum “unhelpful and provocative,” signaling a sharper diplomatic tone regarding Eastern Mediterranean tensions.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-state-department-criticizes-turkey-libya-maritime-deal

### 2026-10-12: Cyprus files UN complaint over 659 Turkish military violations

Cyprus has filed a UN complaint alleging 659 Turkish aerial and naval violations in June and July 2026, including airspace incursions and unauthorized use of territorial waters and ports.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cyprus-files-un-complaint-over-659-turkish-military-violations

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Cite as: Cyprus-Turkey maritime and airspace disputes. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/cyprus-turkey-maritime-and-airspace-disputes