Turkey’s Foreign Ministry reacts to memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Greek Cypriot administration.
A memorandum of understanding signed between the US and the Greek Cypriot administration will harm efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue instead of contributing to peace and stability, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has stated.
“The MoU signed between the US and the Greek Cypriot administration on 12th September 2020, envisaging the establishment of a ‘Land, High Seas and Port Security Centre’ in the Greek Cypriot administration, ignores the Turkish Cypriot side,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a written statement.
The steps taken by the US in lifting an arms embargo on the Greek Cypriots and including the Greek side in its International Military Education and Training (IMET) program disrupt the balance between the two peoples on the island and increases tension in the Eastern Mediterranean, Aksoy said.
In this respect, it is noticeable that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not meet with the TRNC during his visit to the island, he added.
“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,” he underlined.
On 1st September the US partially lifted an arms embargo on the Southern Greek Cypriot administration while Pompeo announced in July that the US has included the Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus in its military training program for 2020.
Source : TRNC Public Information Office
