A new vessel traffic monitoring system to monitor traffic within Turkish Cyprus' maritime jurisdiction areas is slated to be commissioned soon, a top official announced on Thursday.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu noted that the system established in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as part of the Eastern Mediterranean Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Project will be commissioned on July 20 and that vessel traffic will be effectively monitored within maritime jurisdiction areas.
"We have completed the construction works, equipment installations and software integration processes for the project. By commissioning the system on July 20, we will begin effectively monitoring vessel traffic in the TRNC's maritime jurisdiction areas," he said.
Emphasizing that Türkiye's effectiveness in the Eastern Mediterranean will be further strengthened with the Eastern Mediterranean VTS Project, Uraloğlu suggested that with the project, they would "protect our interests in our Blue Homeland, and we will be able to seamlessly monitor vessel traffic in the maritime area between the waters surrounding the TRNC and our country."
The "Blue Homeland" doctrine, which took shape over the 2010s, covers Türkiye's maritime zones – continental shelf, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) – across the Black Sea, Aegean and Mediterranean.
"Thanks to the software and critical equipment developed entirely with domestic and national resources, we will also reinforce our technological independence in this area," Uraloğlu said.
He also informed that the project is being carried out by the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, with the contractor being the leading tech and defense company, Havelsan.
"We have completed all preparation processes and will commission the system on July 20," he added.
He also suggested that thanks to radars, cameras, communication equipment, AIS systems, and other sensors, they aim to provide 24-hour, uninterrupted monitoring.
"Any vessel within the scope of vessel traffic services will be detected instantly, and the obtained data will be simultaneously transmitted to both the center in the TRNC and the Mersin Vessel Traffic Services Center," the minister said.
He also suggested that through the utliziation of the system they will be able to carry out a wide range of operations such as vessel identification, uninterrupted monitoring and regulation of vessel traffic, transmission of navigation information and general warnings to vessels, control of special areas, contribution to the monitoring of illegal activities, issuance of danger warnings, notification of relevant authorities in emergencies such as accidents and fires, and sharing meteorological data with vessels when necessary.
The commissioning of the system stands out for its significance in protecting the rights of Turkish Cypriots.
Cyprus has been divided for decades, and talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots failed to produce a result for the island’s status. Türkiye, a guarantor state on the matter, stands with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in its quest for a sovereign Turkish Cypriot state on the island.