Authorities on Wednesday confirmed reports that the presence of Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is forcing aircraft to and from the Paphos airport to change their course.

But they said the situation is under control.

The confirmation follows an article in daily Phileleftheros on Wednesday reporting that Turkish UAVs have been flying frequently off Paphos in the area where the Turkish drillship Fatih is operating, and as a result air traffic controllers have been forced on several occasions to ask aircraft that are either landing at or taking off from Paphos airport to change their course.

According to the paper the flights of these UAVs – Bayraktar TB2 type – had increased during July and August. The Turkish vessels fly for long periods of time in circles over the area where the Fatih is located.

The head of the civil aviation’s Nicosia Area Control Centre, Haris Antoniades said there are Turkish UAVs flying between Antalya and Paphos but that the situation was “manageable”.

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