Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. (Credit: AFP)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated on Monday that Cyprus is becoming an "operations center" in the conflict between Israel and Gaza, as reported by several regional media outlets such as al-Monitor and Middle East Eye.
"We frequently observe in intelligence reports that certain countries are using the Greek Cypriot administration in southern Cyprus as a base, particularly for operations in Gaza," Fidan said in an interview with Turkish television channel HaberTurk. He did not specify the nature of the intelligence reports. "If you participate in the ongoing wars in the Middle East, this fire will reach you as well," he added. "And since we share the same geography, it will reach us too. We advise them to stay away from the conflict."
Cyprus, with a population of one million, has been divided since the Turkish army invaded the northern part of the island in 1974, in response to a coup aimed at annexing the country to Greece, which had caused significant concern among the Turkish Cypriot minority. The Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union, exercises its authority only over the southern two-thirds of the country, while the northern third is administered by the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and occupied by the Turkish army.
The Turkish minister's warning comes less than a week after Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah threatened Cyprus last Wednesday. In his speech, he warned Nicosia against "opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy" in the event of an expanded war with Israel. These unprecedented threats quickly prompted a response from Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
"I have read the comments and I want to say that the Republic of Cyprus is in no way involved in this war," he replied in a statement. Cyprus is "part of the solution, not the problem," he added, arguing that his country plays a role "recognized by the Arab world and the entire international community" in establishing a maritime corridor to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.