Ankara Calls On Athens To Stop 'Undermining' Bilateral Relations
Date
7/18/2024 3:12:53 PM
(MENAFN- AzerNews)
By News Centre
Ankara on Wednesday called on the defense Minister of Greece to
"desist from trying to undermine the joint stance set forth by the
leaders of the two countries, which aims to advance the relations
between Türkiye and Greece in a constructive manner."
The National Defense Ministry in a statement on X strongly
condemned Nikos Dendias' remarks, saying that his remarks are
"targeting the Turkish Cypriots and the army of the heroic Turkish
people with full of lies and slander."
"The heroic Turkish army took action in accordance with
Türkiye's guarantor rights under international agreements, and
saved the Turkish Cypriot people, who were subjected to all kinds
of cruelty by the Greek Cypriot side between 1963-1974, from a
genocide attempt," the ministry added.
Stressing that there has been no bloodshed on the island since
1974, thanks to the presence of the Turkish army, it highlighted
that the Turkish army will continue to be the guarantee of peace
and tranquility on the island "tomorrow as it was yesterday and
today."
"Mr. Dendias' endeavors to pursue a political career by causing
trouble between Turkish and Greek peoples will not avail," the
ministry added.
Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek
Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic
efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish
Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.
In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation of
the island led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor
power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As
a result, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was founded in
1983.
It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years,
including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the
auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece, and the UK.
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