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Türkiye's National Defense Ministry said Greek Cyprus' ongoing armament and its military cooperation with third countries are undermining the delicate balance and climate of trust on the island, after closely monitoring a Greek Cypriot military parade on Thursday.
The ministry also warned that no cable or pipeline can be laid on Türkiye's continental shelf without prior coordination, and announced that the Bashiqa-Zilkan base in Iraq will be gradually handed over to Iraqi authorities.
The warnings come as Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman says Greek Cyprus' rapprochement and agreements with Israel are eroding trust in U.N.-backed settlement talks.
The statements were issued after the ministry's weekly press briefing, held in Kayseri to mark the 100th anniversary of the 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate.
"The military parade held in the Greek Cypriot Administration was closely monitored. As we have stated before, we once again emphasize that the Greek Cypriot Administration's ongoing armament activities and the military cooperation it has developed with third countries negatively affect the delicate balances and the climate of trust on the island," the ministry said.
"It is clear that the provocative actions carried out by the Greek Cypriot Administration and Greece do not contribute to efforts to establish mutual trust on the island; on the contrary, they increase tension and harm the environment of stability," it said.
"As a guarantor country, we reiterate that a just, lasting and sustainable solution on the island of Cyprus is possible only through the acceptance of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people," the ministry added.
It said Türkiye will continue to take the necessary measures for the Turkish Cypriot people's security in cooperation with authorities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Asked about the route of the planned power cable between Greece and Greek Cyprus, the ministry said, "Under international law, any cable/pipe laying or scientific research activities to be carried out on our continental shelf must be coordinated in advance with our country as the coastal state."
Türkiye "will not allow any unauthorized activity on its continental shelf," which is shaped by its maritime delimitation agreements with the TRNC and Libya and was declared to the U.N. on March 18, 2020, the ministry said.
The cable project is planned to link Greece, Greek Cyprus and Israel.
Separately, Greece's Education Ministry sent a letter urging universities to cooperate with Israeli counterparts, Greek newspaper EFSYN reported.
On Türkiye-Greece confidence-building measures, ministry spokesman Rear Adm. Zeki Akturk said Türkiye's National Defense University will visit Greece's National Defense College in Athens on Oct. 7-9.
The ministry said the Bashiqa-Zilkan base, used by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) since 2015 at Iraq's request in the fight against Daesh, will be gradually handed over to Iraqi authorities in line with an agreed mechanism and timeline, following progress in Baghdad's security measures in Sinjar.
"Our country stands by our neighbor Iraq today, as it did yesterday, in ensuring security and stability in the region," the ministry said, adding that steps to further advance military and security cooperation are planned.
The chiefs of general staff of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye met in Riyadh on Sept. 25 under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, the ministry said.
"At the meeting, ways to further advance cooperation between the three countries' armed forces and to increase military coordination and capability integration were discussed, and issues of strengthening deterrence and collective defense were addressed," it said.
"We reject the raids by extremist Israeli groups on Al-Aqsa Mosque and once again state that violations and provocations targeting holy sites further inflame tensions in the region and undermine efforts for peace and stability," the ministry said.
It also called on the international community to take "deterrent measures" against Israeli attacks it said violate international and humanitarian law.
Nearly 2,500 Israelis entered the Al-Aqsa compound on Wednesday during the Sukkot holiday under police protection, according to the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf.
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