Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkey’s presidential communications directorate on Saturday denied reports that missiles had been fired from a vessel in Cypriot waters after a video appearing to show missile fire circulated on social media. It said the firings shown in the footage occurred in international waters.
Turkey’s statement and location details
Turkey’s presidential communications directorate said, “No firing exercises have taken place in the territorial waters of Turkey or of the TRNC. It has been determined that the firings shown in the images in question occurred in international waters.”
The video was reportedly taken in the Karpas peninsula village of Platanissos. Territorial waters are typically measured as a distance of about 22 kilometres from the coast, and Platanissos is located around 100km south of the closest point to it in Turkey, allowing for a sliver of sea around 56km wide in which a firing activity could have taken place.
Notams and regional military activity
Turkey’s distancing of itself from the firing activities suggested they may have been carried out by the United States, after a notice to airmen (Notam) regarding possible operations by the US military off the coast of the Karpas peninsula was issued earlier in the week.
The Notam was issued amid heightened military activity in the eastern Mediterranean in recent weeks in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with it believed that the American aircraft carrier the USS George HW Bush is in the region.
Given the contested nature of Cyprus’ airspace and waters, the initial Notam was followed by Notams and counter-Notams in subsequent days. Turkish Cypriot authorities issued a Notam of their own, Turkey declared the original Notam “null and void,” and later issued its own Notam for activities around Ercan (Tymbou) airport.
Missile interceptions and Nato assets
Turkey’s defence ministry has disclosed that Nato air and missile assets located in the region have downed three ballistic missiles launched from Iran in recent weeks.
Intelligence and diplomatic sources in both Turkey and Cyprus earlier confirmed to the Cyprus Mail that the first missile intercepted in Turkish airspace, fired on March 4, had been aimed at the Incirlik airbase. Incirlik is jointly operated by the Turkish air force and the United States and is located in Turkey’s southeastern Adana province.
The report said that, in addition to US machinery, an array of Nato military assets has amassed in the eastern Mediterranean since the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East at the beginning of the month.
What do you think the recent Notams and counter-Notams indicate about tensions in the eastern Mediterranean?
