The United States (US) Department of Defence has announced that the Greek Cypriot National Guard has been paired with the New Jersey State National Guard in order to include the Greek Cypriot side in the “National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.”

Issuing a written statement on the issue on Monday, the Foreign Ministry said that this cooperation had no other aim but to escalate tensions.

“We would never accept the support and encouragement given to the Greek Cypriot administration by the US administration in the military and political arena,” the statement said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the US Administration to act with common sense.

In a written statement, the Ministry noted that Washington, which recently announced that it has completely lifted the arms embargo that has been imposed on the Greek Cypriot Administration since 1987, continued its provocative attitude towards the country and Türkiye.

The ministry reacted to the statement made by the United States Department of Defence on September 30 announcing that the Greek Cypriot National Guard was paired with the New Jersey State National Guard in order to include the Greek Cypriot side within the scope of the “National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program” carried out by the United States Department of Defence.

The ministry also noted that this declaration of cooperation in the field of defence, taken just days after the lifting of the arms embargo, had no other purpose but to escalate tensions on the island and the region.

“It is not possible for us to accept the support and encouragement of the Greek Cypriot Administration by the United States Administration in the military and political arena. It is considered that the US, in unity with the Greek/Greek Cypriot duo, displays an unfriendly approach towards the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Türkiye” the statement said.

The statement added that the TRNC and Türkiye will not remain a spectator to these developments and that all necessary steps will be taken to protect the security of Türkiye and the rights of the Turkish Cypriots.

“No one should have any doubt that we will defend our rights and interests in Cyprus and in the region together with our sole supporter and protector, motherland Türkiye. We invite the US Administration, which seems to have the intention to distance the TRNC and Türkiye from itself and to change the already fragile balance in favour of the Greek Cypriot side and Greece, to act with common sense. Once again, we invite the parties to dialogue and cooperation in order to establish and maintain an atmosphere of peace on the island and in the region” the statement said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stressed that such events once again proved how right and indispensable Türkiye’s effective and active guarantees are.