The TRNC Foreign Ministry has slammed the Greek Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris for his remarks concerning undocumented migrants.

A statement issued by the ministry on Monday said that the accusations directed against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Turkiye aimed at concealing the inhumane treatment of migrants by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo were unacceptable.

The statement came in response to a call made by Nouris during an informal meeting of EU justice and interior ministers for the imposition of EU sanctions against Turkish airline companies which he claimed were systematically carrying irregular immigrants to the TRNC which then crossed over to the South illegally.

It reminded that the Turkish Cypriot side’s offer to cooperate with the Greek Cypriot side on the issue of irregular migration was still on the table.

“Instead the Greek Cypriot side not only chooses to reject all proposals for cooperation but also makes baseless and unfounded accusations against the TRNC and Turkiye,” the statement read.

The statement reminded that the Turkish Coast Guard, as reported in the international press, had saved thousands of migrants inhumanely pushed back to the sea by the Greek coast guard.

It pointed out that the Greek Cypriot coast guard had also a similar record and that the UN Secretary-General in his January 2022 report had mentioned how one migrant had been lost at sea after being pushed back.

“As the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus we would like to stress once again that we are always ready for constructive dialogue and to cooperate on the issue of irregular migration,” the foreign ministry statement read.