Kathimerini Greece Newsroom
By Manolis Kostides
Cyprus’s growing defense cooperation with Israel has drawn sharp criticism from Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), who warned the partnership could raise regional tensions.
In the same remarks, he invoked Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus, a reference Ankara frequently uses when expressing security concerns.
Celik said Turkey “does not want conflict in the Aegean and the Mediterranean” but argued that Nicosia’s recent armament steps contradict its stated commitment to peaceful negotiations. He claimed the Greek Cypriot government has embarked on a course that, in his view, risks leading to a “dangerous collision” at full speed and undermines its previous calls for dialogue.
The Turkish government spokesperson pointed to what he described as an expanding “armament process,” suggesting it negates the positions Cyprus has presented in past talks.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded following a coup backed by Greece. Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence in the island’s northern third, where it maintains more than 35,000 troops.
