Monday, 14 September 2020_Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has expressed its objection to a recent agreement between the United States and the Greek Cyprus for the construction of a new training center, warning that the move could further undermine peace and stability in the region.
Turkey and Greece are engaged in an age-old territorial dispute, which has escalated in past weeks over Ankara’s energy exploration bid in the Eastern Mediterranean.
"The MoU signed between the US and the Greek Cypriot administration on Sept. 12, 2020 and envisaging the establishment of a ‘Land, High Seas and Port Security Center’ in the Greek Cypriot administration ignores the Turkish Cypriot side," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement
The Turkish official pointed out that the establishment of a new border security training center on the Greek-controlled side of the island of Cyprus will fall short of consolidating regional peace and stability.
"We call on the US to return to its traditional policy of neutrality regarding the island and to contribute to the efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue," the ministry statement added.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier this month unveiled Washington’s plans to lift a decades-long arms embargo on Greek Cyprus and boost its security cooperation with Nicosia.
Aksoy said the US lifting of the arms ban and the inclusion of the Greek Cyprus in its International Military Education and Training (IMET) program would further complicate the situation.
"The steps taken by the US, such as lifting the arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot Administration and including the Greek side in the military training program disrupt the balance between the two peoples on the island and increase tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean," Aksoy said.
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