Erdogan warns European troops in Cyprus under 'Iran war' pretext must not become permanent

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that military elements deployed to Cyprus by some European countries under the pretext of the Iran war should not become permanent, according to an official statement released on Thursday.

Erdogan said Turkey is ready to take all necessary steps to defend the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and will never allow the rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots to be violated, the Communications Directorate stated. The remarks came during Erdogan’s meeting with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Tufan Erhurman at the Presidential Dolmabahce Office in Istanbul on Thursday.

The statement said the two discussed bilateral ties and regional issues. Erdogan was accompanied by National Intelligence Organisation head Ibrahim Kalin, foreign policy and security adviser Akif Cagatay Kilic, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, and chief advisor Zafer Cubukcu.