Cypriot officials say recent threats by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to invade Israel should not be taken lightly and betray Turkey’s continuing regional ambitions.
“Any threats made publicly must be taken extremely seriously here. We believe that the international community cannot ignore or take threats lightly,” Cyprus government spokesman Konstantinos Letimviotis told Fox News Digital.
“History itself proves this. It goes without saying that respect for international law is fundamental and we should all be strongly committed to it,” Letimviotis said. “Unfortunately, over the past 50 years, our country has experienced a continuous and increasing illegal occupation of 37 percent of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey.”
“We know exactly what the consequences of trespass are and we take any threats very seriously,” Letimviotis said.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inspected military exercises in Izmir, Turkey on June 9, 2022. (Xinhua via Getty Images)
Erdogan suggested to his party at the end of July that Turkey “has to become very strong so that Israel cannot do such a stupid thing against the Palestinians,” adding, “Just as we went into Karabakh, just as we went into Libya, we may do the same to them.”
The comments drew a scathing rebuke from Israel, whose Foreign Minister Israel Katz likened Erdogan to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, saying he should “remember what happened there and how it ended,” referring to Hussein’s hanging in 2006.
President Nikos Christodoulides attends a memorial ceremony in Nicosia, Cyprus, on July 20, 2024. The ceremony marks the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion, which led to the occupation of 37 percent of the island. The Makedonitissa cemetery is where the remains of soldiers who died in the war are buried. (Kostas Pikouras/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
When asked earlier about the Turkish president’s comments, a US embassy spokesperson told Fox News Digital: “Turkey has no problem whatsoever with the Israeli people. Our problem is with the brutality and irresponsible actions of the current extremist Israeli government.”
Part of the problem, Letimviotis argued, is that there are no longer any “so-called frozen conflicts” in the world and that as fighting intensifies “it is becoming more pronounced than ever, especially in our region.”
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Regarding Turkey in particular, Letimviotis points to the ongoing “Turkification” of parts of Cyprus – the renaming of geographical places and the “systematic destruction” of cultural and historical heritage – as one of the main signs that Turkey is seeking influence and control rather than altruistic motives.
“This is in the context of Turkish revisionism, expansionism with a neo-Ottoman approach,” Letimbiotis said. “This is not the first time we have seen such an approach from Turkey.”
A replica of the flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is raised on the slopes of Mount Pentadaktylos in the occupied Cyprus region on August 10, 2024. Next to it is the motto “Happy is he who calls himself a Turk.” (Christoph Reichwein/Photo by Getty Images)
“In the case of the region, and particularly in the case of the narrative that has been specifically adopted by Turkey and President Erdogan, it should also be highlighted the timing at which they have chosen to continue this narrative and the position taken by the President of the Republic of Cyprus himself at the time of his intensive efforts to resume negotiations,” he added.
Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and divided it along ethnic lines at a time when the island was seeking unification with Greece. Only Turkey has recognised the Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence, and Cyprus is European Union Member StatesHowever, only the South enjoys full membership benefits.
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A Turkish helicopter takes part in military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea on January 12, 2024. (Orhan Cicek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Cyprus has been reaching out to other countries that have recently felt the strain of Turkey’s regional ambitions, including Armenia. “Karabakh,” as Erdogan calls it, was an exclave of some 120,000 Armenians who lived inside Azerbaijan before being expelled last year and had their land seized by Baku.
Cyprus also played a key role in U.S. plans to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza as Israel continues its operations there. In March, the European Union and the United States established a sea route to deliver aid from Cyprus to Gaza ports.
“Cyprus’s initiative will allow increased humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, subject to security checks in line with Israeli standards,” Lior Hayat, a former spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said on the social media platform X in March.
A crane unloads a shipment of food over a makeshift port in the Gaza Strip, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (World Central Kitchen via The Associated Press)
Letimviotis hopes that this cooperation, born out of the “best period” of Cyprus-US relations, will continue to improve Cyprus’ status and international recognition, leading to further progress.
“Our relationship with the United States is built on a foundation of mutual trust,” Letimviotis said. “The United States no longer approaches Cyprus solely in terms of the Cyprus issue, but as a reliable and stable partner.”
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“Cyprus’ role and level of cooperation was significantly underlined, both from the evacuation of at-risk populations in the area and from its very important domestic efforts in establishing a maritime border to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”
But he lamented that there are still problems because Turkey is a member of NATO, where Turkey could use its veto power with sticky consequences, such as when Turkey has to meet Ankara’s demands before Erdogan will allow Turkey to join.
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A soldier holds up the Cypriot flag during the annual Cyprus Independence Day military parade in the divided capital, Nicosia, on October 1, 2022. (Danil Shamkin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Look at how the Turkish government behaves on the issue of Sweden’s membership in the North Atlantic Alliance, and then think about what will happen if Cyprus applies for membership – an issue Turkey will not even discuss,” he said.
The Turkish embassy had not responded to several inquiries from Fox News Digital about the Cyprus spokesperson’s comments at press time.
Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFaul and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
