Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar rebuked a Greek member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly over accusations on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

“Türkiye is not an occupier in Northern Cyprus,” Akar asserted at a session of the assembly’s Political Committee in Istanbul, stressing that the country “prevented a massacre there” in its 1974 peace operation on the island.

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, who was attending a joint meeting of the Mediterranean and Middle East Group, was responding to a question by the lawmaker, who accused Türkiye of occupying the northern part of Cyprus.

Addressing the opening session, Akar shared Türkiye’s approaches on defence and security issues, followed by a question and answer session during which he told the Greek legislator: “If you call Northern Cyprus an ‘occupation,’ then that means you want to argue, to begin with.”

Recalling the “massacres and coups” that took place on the island until 1974, Akar underlined that in this period, “even the lives of the Greek Cypriots were in danger.”

“From 1974 until now, both the south and the north have been living in peace,” he said. “You have to see this. You must not be biased.”

“Despite all its shortcomings, the Turkish Cypriots accepted the UN’s Annan Plan as a solution in 2004. The Greek Cypriot side didn’t accept it” Turkish Defence Minister noted.

Underlining Türkiye’s readiness to hold talks with Greece to smooth their differences, Akar said his country “always and persistently stated that we are in favour of solving problems through international law, good neighbourly relations and dialogue.”