Turkey will reinforce its military presence in the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
Speaking with CNN Turk, the Turkish President said the reinforcements comes as a response to the decision by the United States made earlier this month to fully lift its defence trade restrictions on Cyprus for the 2023 fiscal year.
It is with great satisfaction that I welcome the announcement by 🇺🇸 @StateDept on the complete lifting of the U.S. arms embargo on Cyprus🇨🇾. This is a landmark decision, reflecting the burgeoning strategic relationship between the two countries, including in the area of security.
— Nicos Anastasiades (@AnastasiadesCY) September 17, 2022
Erdogan said the US decision to lift the weapons embargo for Cyprus was “inexplicable in terms of content and timing.”
“The United States, which overlooks and even encourages the steps by the Cypriot-Greek duo that threaten peace and stability in the eastern Mediterranean, will lead to an armament race on the island with this step,” Erdogan said.
He added that Turkey already has 40,000 troops on the island and they will be reinforced with further land, naval and aerial weapons, ammunition and vehicles.
“Everyone must know that this last step will not go unresponded and that every precaution will be taken for the security of the Turkish Cypriots,” he said.
This comes as overnight, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that Greece has also boosted its military defences.
Σήμερα υποδεχόμαστε ακόμα ένα σύγχρονο σκάφος στον στόλο μας, μία πρόσθετη εγγύηση ασφάλειας και σταθερότητας στο Αιγαίο και στη Μεσόγειο. Στο εξής το νέο ΤΠΚ «ΥΠΟΠΛΟΙΑΡΧΟΣ ΒΛΑΧΑΚΟΣ» θα πλέει στο Αιγαίο ως πρεσβευτής ειρήνης, αλλά και ως ακρίτας των εθνικών μας δικαιωμάτων. pic.twitter.com/xbHLNz9qSJ
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) September 29, 2022
Whilst attending the ceremony of naming and joining the Navy of the newly built Fast Guided Missile Patrol Boat ‘Vice Captain Vlackahos’ at the Skaramangas Naval Fort, Mitsotakis said: “Today we welcome not only another modern vessel to our fleet, but an additional guarantee of safety and stability in the Aegean and the Mediterranean.”
“Every Greek weapon is a force of peaceful deterrence, a shield of dynamic protection of our sovereign rights, but also of international legitimacy,” he said.
Mitsotakis said the high-speed guide missile patrol car will contribute greatly to the strengthening of Greece’s navy.
“Our navy thus becomes more powerful, as does our air force, with the 24 new Rafale fighters, the renewed F-16 Vipers, the new International Training Center in Kalamata and next to them, of course, the land army,” he said.
SOURCE: Reuters
