Newsletters
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Unal Ustel condemned the trilateral summit between Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA) in Tel Aviv, saying any military plans or political alliances that disregard Türkiye's and Turkish Cypriots' legitimate rights are "doomed to fail from the start."
"The Israeli administration, which tramples on human values with its aggressive policies in the Middle East, is now trying to bring this instability to the Eastern Mediterranean," Ustel said in a statement released by the TRNC Prime Ministry on Tuesday.
Ustel said his government was following the summit and the reported plans to establish a "joint military force" with "attention and astonishment."
Turkish Cyprus PM stated that the plan by Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration to form a 2,500-strong "Rapid Reaction Force" and present it as a "deterrence axis" against Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriot people is "not only a clear sign of hostility but also a new and dangerous threat directed at Eastern Mediterranean peace."
"Efforts to transform the region from a 'zone of peace' into a 'zone of conflict' threaten not only the island of Cyprus but the entire Mediterranean basin," Ustel said.
"The Greek-Greek Cypriot duo's acceptance of being extras in this dangerous game is a historic mistake," he added.
Ustel criticized the Greek Cypriot leadership for presenting "solution" rhetoric to the international community while seeking military alliances against Türkiye.
"This two-faced approach is a clear indication of how disconnected they are from the realities on the island," he stated.
"This mentality that considers armament and military pacts as a solution has once again confirmed why the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot people and the two-state solution vision are righteous and necessary," he added.
Ustel noted that these steps eliminate the ground for negotiations and make any possible reconciliation impossible. "The mentality that bloodied the Republic of Cyprus in 1963 is the same mentality that is now attempting to establish an anti-Türkiye military force in the Eastern Mediterranean," he added.
"It is unacceptable that the Greek Cypriot leadership, instead of learning lessons from this atrocity, praises the aggressive mentality of those days and tries to revive it today with military plans," he added.
"It is not possible to conduct a healthy negotiation process with this understanding," Ustel said.
The Prime Minister also emphasized that the TRNC and Türkiye are "inseparable like flesh and nail."
"In the Eastern Mediterranean, in the 'Blue Homeland,' and in the sovereignty areas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus — any military plan, pipeline project or political alliance that disregards the legitimate rights of Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriot people and tries to push us out of the equation is doomed to fail from the start," Ustel stated.
"The TRNC has the power to neutralize "all kinds of threats" directed at it together with Türkiye, and possesses the diplomatic and military will to defend its rights and interests," he noted.
"The path to peace does not pass through military adventurism but through the acceptance of the realities on the island — that is, the existence of two separate peoples and two separate states," he concluded.
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
