Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Wednesday over any developments harming Northern Cyprus, after France and Cyprus signed a deal allowing for the presence of French forces on Cypriot territory.
“Now we see an attempt to ignite a fire of discord in the Mediterranean, especially on the island of Cyprus,” the Turkish president told lawmakers from his ruling AKP party, two days after an agreement was signed expanding Franco-Cypriot defense cooperation.
“If the rights and laws of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots are threatened in the eastern Mediterranean, our response will be very clear and very harsh.”
Similarly, Erdogan said US President Donald Trump’s presence at the NATO summit in Ankara next month will be an important moment for the stability of the military alliance.
“The announcement that US President Trump will attend the summit in person is a significant step in terms of the alliance’s stability,” he said. AFP
