Türkiye on Thursday reiterated that it will take all measures to protect Turkish Cypriots following the US’ decision to lift an arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration.

The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu criticized Washington for lifting the arms sales embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration.

“We shall take all necessary steps to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots,” Çavuşoğlu said.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoğlu said Ankara “will deploy more forces to protect Turkish Cypriots and provide them everything they need in terms of weapons.”

Criticizing the US’s move to lift the arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration, Çavuşoğlu stressed that Türkiye will continue to protect its rights pertaining to Cyprus, as well as the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

The US State Department had announced the lifting of the arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration on September 16.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the move, saying it is “in contradiction to the principle of equality of the two sides on the island, and will further strengthen the Greek Cypriot side’s intransigence, will negatively affect the efforts to resettle the Cyprus issue, and will lead to an arms race on the island, harming peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.”