Nicosia, Cyprus. Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said Cyprus “lies nearby” in a message marking the 52nd anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of the island, referring to recent Greek military deployments following a drone strike on the British Akrotiri air force base.
He said the Cyprus issue remained one of illegal occupation and that Nicosia could not remain Europe’s last divided capital.
Anniversary message
“Fifty-two years since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the memory remains alive. We honour the fallen, the missing, and all those who defended the freedom of the great island,” Dendias said.
“The Cyprus issue remains one of illegal occupation. Nicosia cannot be today the last divided capital of Europe,” he added.
Addressing “our brothers in Cyprus”, Dendias said: “The message is clear, especially after recent developments: Cyprus lies nearby.”
Greek military presence
The developments referred to by Dendias included a drone strike on the British Akrotiri air force base in March. Greece subsequently deployed F-16 fighter jets to Paphos and the frigates Kimon and Psara to waters off Cyprus.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also visited Cyprus shortly after the strike and described the Kimon as the “pride of the Greek fleet”.
Greece has since maintained a constant frigate presence in Cypriot waters, with the Nikiforos Fokas currently stationed off the island’s coast.
Reference to 1974
Dendias’ statement that “Cyprus lies nearby” referred to a comment made by Kostas Karamanlis to acting Cypriot president Glafcos Clerides in the summer of 1974.
After Karamanlis became Greek prime minister following the collapse of the military junta, Clerides requested further military aid to prevent additional Turkish action on the island. Karamanlis declined, saying that “Cyprus lies far away”.