Türkiye has dismissed a recommendation from a European Parliament committee to fund a memorial project in Greece to honour the deceased that Ankara states is aimed at the Turkish Armed Forces.
The suggestion was part of an opinion from the European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality on the EU’s 2027 budget. In a statement, the Defense Ministry in Turkey said the action was a biased effort to “twist the history” of the Cyprus conflict.
The ministry refuted groundless accusations against the military intervention in Cyprus by Türkiye in 1974 in a written statement. Ankara maintains that the operation was carried out to protect Turkish Cypriots from attacks and violence and brought stability to the island.
The ministry said that EU institutions had disregarded the unilateral claims of Greek Cypriots and turned a blind eye to the violations committed against Turkish Cypriots between 1963 and 1974 and to the activities of the EOKA organisation.
Türkiye stressed that such a move would not contribute to the solution of the Cyprus issue and urged third parties to adopt a fair and impartial stance on the historical facts.
The ministry also stated that Türkiye would not hesitate to react to any hostile action that would impact the security of Turkish Cypriots.
For decades, Cyprus has been split between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot people. The Republic of Cyprus, internationally recognised, became a member of the European Union in 2004, but the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognised only by Türkiye.
It is claimed that the Union of Concerned Scientists published a report in November 2015, which was also cited by the Foreign Ministry of Türkiye.
