Turkey intends to supply Northern Cyprus with more weapons

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that Turkey would reinforce its military presence in Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus after the United States lifted an arms embargo on southern Greece.

"We will send more troops there and provide the weapons they need to protect the Turkish Cypriots," Cavusoglu told a meeting in the Aegean province of Denizli.

It is noteworthy that Cyprus has been divided since a Greek coup d'état followed by a Turkish military invasion in 1974.

The northern side is recognized only by Turkey, while the south is an internationally recognized member state of the European Union.

Multiple attempts to reunite the island failed.

Cavusoglu's comments come after Washington announced in mid-September that Cyprus would be able to obtain unlimited US weapons for the first time since 1987.

The US embargo was imposed to persuade the guarantor powers, Greece and Turkey, to find a diplomatic solution.

In response to the US decision, Cavusoglu asked: "Why do you give weapons, and against whom?"

For his part, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades welcomed the decision, describing it as a "milestone", while Ankara warned that it could lead to an arms race on the island.

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