President Ersin Tatar reacted to the Greek Cypriot administration for including the TRNC’s airspace in its decision to close its airspace to Russian planes.

“No one can encroach on our airspace,” President Tatar said in a written statement issued on Tuesday.

“We know that South Cyprus, the EU member states and other countries took a decision to close their airspace to Russian planes within the framework of sanctions being imposed on Russia,” he said.

“The authority and responsibility belongs to the countries which have this decision. It is unacceptable that the Greek Cypriot administration included the TRNC’s airspace in its decision and issued maps in this direction,” Tatar added.

He said it was out of the question for the Greek Cypriot administration to take any decisions on behalf of the TRNC or its territory or airspace which is based on the sovereign equality rights and equal status gained in 1960.

“It is a useless effort of the Greek Cypriot side which sees itself as the sole owner of the island to take such a decision, encroach on the TRNC’s sovereignty rights and to try to deceive the world,” Tatar added.