Turkish Aggression Cannot Go Unanswered: Greek Foreign Minister's Statement

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, after a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides, stated that Turkey cannot have prospects for normalizing relations with Greece and the EU as long as it remains resolute in violating the law in Cyprus, according to cyprus-mail.com.

Dendias emphasized that his presence in Cyprus “symbolizes the Greek government's commitment to stand by the Cypriot government and its people, as well as support for international legitimacy.”

“There can be no prospects for normalizing Greece-Turkey and EU-Turkey relations as long as Turkey is resolute in its unlawful actions in Cyprus. Turkish aggression cannot go unanswered,” said Dendias, stressing that the Greek response will be based on international law and their values.

The meeting took place ahead of a United Nations Security Council session, in relation to which Cyprus’s foreign minister expressed hope that a clear message would be sent to Ankara.

“It is clear that Turkey's provocative actions aim to promote alternative solutions to the Cyprus conflict, which neither Cyprus nor the international community will accept,” he added.

The meeting of the two foreign ministers followed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is noted that Erdoğan visited Northern Cyprus days ago to attend a ceremony dedicated to the anniversary of the Turkish military invasion of Cyprus in 1974, aiming to remind of the occupation while not undermining peace negotiations between the two sides.