Ismail Ozdemir, deputy chairman of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party, said the protection of the rights of the Turkish Cypriot side was “a national duty, a priority and a matter of honour” for Turkey, describing Cyprus as “a matter of life and death”.
In a post on social media, Ozdemir said Turkey remained a guarantor power “in every sense”, arguing that the countries holding guarantor status in the Cyprus issue were clearly defined.
He also criticised the prospect of a stronger French presence in the Republic of Cyprus, describing such moves as “illegal and baseless initiatives” which, he claimed, would not succeed.
Ozdemir linked developments in Cyprus to the wider situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, claiming that Greece and the Republic of Cyprus were supporting Israeli efforts to create an “anti-Turkish and anti-Islamic front” in the region. He warned that such moves would not bring gains, but would return “with heavy losses”.
Criticism of France and Greece
Ozdemir also strongly criticised France, saying its stance was not in line with the “seriousness of a state”. He described comments by French President Emmanuel Macron on providing security guarantees to Greece as an “attempt at incitement”.
Referring to Greece, he claimed that Athens was choosing to strengthen its cooperation with France and Israel instead of observing its legal obligations and good-neighbourly relations, warning that this would have “serious consequences”.
He also accused Greece of violating the treaties of Lausanne and Paris through the militarisation of Aegean islands and of considering the deployment of foreign weapons systems there.
Ozdemir called on the Greek side not to “play with fire” or abandon what he described as a climate of peace, warning against further escalation in the region.
Source: CNA