Turkish Cyprus responds to ‘Cyprus is Greek’ chant, rejects Greek claims over island

Ziya Ozturkler, Speaker of the Republic Assembly of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), condemned slogans shouted during a military parade in Athens claiming “Cyprus is Greek,” stating that the island “has never been Greek and will never be allowed to become Greek.”

Ozturkler made the remarks during a television interview with Kibris TV, where he addressed current regional issues.

Turkish Cyprus rejects enosis rhetoric from Athens

Commenting on the slogan “Cyprus is Greek,” voiced during a Greek military parade, Ozturkler said, “Cyprus has never been Greek, and we will never allow it to become Greek.”

He criticized the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus for continuing to pursue the ideal of Enosis—the union of Cyprus with Greece—and for bringing “foreign powers” to the island while engaging in ongoing militarization alongside Greece.

Türkiye’s guarantor role is a red line

Ozturkler underscored that any agreement ignoring Türkiye’s role as a guarantor and the presence of Turkish forces on the island is unacceptable.

“Türkiye’s guarantorship and the Turkish military are our red lines,” he said.

He also rejected demands from the Greek Cypriot side for the withdrawal of Turkish forces from the island.

Two-state reality must be recognized

Referring to the informal extended-format Cyprus meeting held in Geneva between March 17–19, Ozturkler said that TRNC and Türkiye have introduced a new political approach in alignment with each other.

He called for international recognition of “the reality of two peoples and two states” on the island and reminded that the Greek Cypriot side had previously walked away from negotiations during the Annan Plan and Crans Montana processes.