Greek Cyprus angry at Turkey over exercise

NICOSIA

Turkey, Turkish Cyprus is holding a search and rescue exercise on the land and sea.

Greek Cyprus has conveyed its concerns to the United Nations over a search and rescue exercise held jointly by Turkey and Turkish Cyprus.

A search and rescue exercise named “Martyr Lt. Caner Gönyeli-2012” has started in northern Cyprus and will be completed today, Anatolia news agency has reported.

Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis said on June 12 that they had made a complaint to the U.N. over the “illegal” search and rescue exercise carried out in northern Cyprus, daily Famagusta reported. “Last week we made representations to the U.N. and all diplomatic missions accredited to the Republic of Cyprus, but also to certain countries that participated in last year’s exercise,” Marcoullis said.

Observers from Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and the United Nations forces on the island were all present at the exercise.