Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the remarks of the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration, Nikos Christodoulides concerning the F-16s deployed by the Motherland Türkiye to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

We denounce the statement made by the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration, Nikos Christodoulides, regarding the F-16s deployed by the Motherland Türkiye to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as well as his claim that “the Republic of Türkiye is an “occupying power” in Cyprus.

The suffering caused by the atrocities committed by the Greek Cypriot side against the Turkish Cypriot people—which turned the island of Cyprus into a bloodbath between 1963 and 1974—continues to retain its place in the memory of the Turkish Cypriot people. Turkish Armed Forces which carried out the 1974 Peace Operation and brought an end to the bloodshed on the island, remain the sole guarantee of peace and stability in the region today.

We thus express our gratitude to Türkiye for sending six F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems to the TRNC with the aim of enhancing the security of the Turkish Cypriots, given the recent developments in our region and in light of the Greek Cypriot Administration’s unilateral military alliances with other countries, which once again place our island at significant security risk. As in the past, Türkiye continues to safeguard the security of the Turkish Cypriot people. Türkiye’s guarantorship and its military presence on the Island ensures the security, peace, and stability.

Türkiye’s effective guarantee, as well as the deterrent presence of Turkish troops on the ground, constitutes an indispensable and vital element for the Turkish Cypriot people. We extend our gratitude to the Motherland, the Republic of Türkiye, which always stands by our side with its effective and deterrent power, whose strength is our strength.

It is evidently clear that the Greek Cypriot Administration has accelerated its military proliferation particularly after Christodoulides assumed the leadership of the Greek Cypriot side. Since coming to power, the Christodoulides administration has spent billions of euros into military equipment and armaments, while actively establishing defense partnerships with multiple third countries.

The Greek Cypriot Administration, by unilaterally opening our island to the military use of United States, Israel, and France, has effectively transformed the island into a military base serving the interests of global powers, becoming party to the specific conflicts. Indeed, by using the United States and Israel’s operations against Iran as a pretext, the Greek Cypriot administration has facilitated the deployment of military forces by multiple countries on and around the island. The continued intensive armament activities and military cooperation undertaken by the Greek Cypriot Administration, pose a risk of altering the delicate balances in the region and turning our Island into a security target in the Eastern Mediterranean.

In this context, while maintaining our determined stance in favor of peace and stability in the region, we wish to emphasize that we will closely monitor any developments that threaten the security of the Turkish Cypriot people and will not hesitate to take all necessary measures, together with the Motherland Türkiye, to ensure the safety of the people of the TRNC.

The latest developments in our region clearly demonstrate that, our policy based on the principles of sovereign equality and equal international status is justified and realistic.