Turkey reiterated yesterday that it will take all measures to protect the Turkish-Cypriots after the US decision to lift the arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus.

Foreign Minister, Mevlut Çavuşoğlu, said that Ankara “will deploy more forces to protect the Turkish-Cypriots and provide them with what they need in terms of armaments.”

As Çavuşoğlu argued, US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said the lifting of the embargo was a way to reward the Republic of Cyprus for its cooperation in the money laundering issue.

The Turkish Foreign Minister told a crowd of students in southwestern Turkey that the Greek-Cypriot administration is known for money laundering. He also stressed that Turkey will continue to protect its rights regarding Cyprus as well as the Aegean and the Mediterranean.

On September 16, the State Department announced the lifting of the arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus.

Yesterday, Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated in an interview to CNN Türk that Turkey will strengthen its military presence in occupied Cyprus, following the US decision to completely lift the arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus. 

As reported by APA MPA, the President of Turkey described the decision of the US government as inexplicable, both in terms of its content and timing.

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