Turkey's Defense Ministry fired back at the European Parliament this week, accusing it of "distorting historical facts" ...

Turkey's Defense Ministry fired back at the European Parliament this week, accusing it of "distorting historical facts" after an EU committee recommended funding a memorial for Greek Cypriots killed during the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The ministry rejected what it called "baseless allegations" against its 1974 military operation, insisting the Turkish Armed Forces "saved the Turkish Cypriot people from systematic attacks and massacres." Ankara described its troops as "guarantors of peace and stability on the island for more than 50 years," a framing that Cyprus and Greece have long rejected. The specific trigger was a recommendation from the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality to allocate funding for a monument honoring fallen Greek Cypriots. Turkey's Defense Ministry called this "a new example of a biased approach" and accused EU institutions of relying solely on "one-sided claims" from what it called the "Greek Cypriot Administration." Ankara also accused the EU of ignoring what it described as attacks on Turkish Cypriots between 1963 and 1974, and called on "third parties to adopt a fair and impartial stance in light of historical facts." The statement ended with a direct warning, saying Turkey is "absolutely determined to respond appropriately to any hostile stance targeting the security of the Turkish Cypriot people." The 1974 invasion, which Turkey still calls a "peace operation," resulted in the division of Cyprus that persists to this day, with Turkish troops occupying roughly the northern third of the island. Cyprus became an EU member in 2004, making the continued occupation a standing point of tension between Turkey and the bloc. #Cyprus #Turkey #EuropeanParliament