Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, launched direct threats against Greece and Cyprus on Thursday, accusing the two countries of sponsoring Gulenists (FETO) or PKK terrorists by allowing them to remain in their countries.
Citing reports in the Turkish media, Cavusoglu said that Cyprus had given permission to the Syrian Kurdish PYD party to open a representative office in its capital of Nicosia. Ankara regards the PYD group as terrorists, citing their links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
“They should not play with fire,” Cavusoglu warned Cyprus at a press conference.
Later, the Turkish Foreign Minister also accused Greece of providing shelter to members of the PKK and the outlawed Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), a Marxist organisation.
He also criticized the country of supporting the FETO movement around US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, which has been accused of orchestrating the 2016 coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“FETO Gulenists see Greece not only as a transit country but also as a place to settle as refugees. Greece is playing with fire by hosting them,” he concluded.
“I want to say this: they allow them to have delegations there. For this purpose, if there is an attack from their side towards us, they will pay a heavy price.”
Athens has denied similar allegations in the past.
Source: Ekathimerini.
