ISTANBUL

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.