Regarding the visit of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt to the Port of Limassol

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt of US Navy’s 6th Fleet, which is operating in the Eastern Mediterranean, arrived at the port of Limassol in the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCA) on 27 July 2024.

The visit, which is allegedly carried out under the pretext of “ensuring freedom of navigation in the Eastern Mediterranean” and “supporting crisis management in the region” is part of the intensified “strategic partnership” the United States has established with the Greek Cypriot Administration and constitutes yet another indication of the military support provided by the USA to the Greek Cypriot Administration.

It should be recalled that, in addition to USS Roosevelt, USS San Juan submarine, also belonging to US Navy, paid visits to the ports of the Greek Cypriot Administration multiple times under the guise of “port visits” over the past two years. Continued dispatching of the US Navy warships to the island, despite all our calls and recommendations, serves no purpose other than to escalate tension.

The USA completely lifted the arms embargo it had imposed on the Greek Cypriot Administration in 2022 and the US State Department subsequently announced on 18 August 2023 that the decision to lift the arms embargo had been extended for one year, as of 1 October 2023.

The Greek Cypriot Administration increasingly continues its aggressive stance with the support it receives from the USA. The open military support extended by a country such as the USA results in the Greek Cypriot side’s hegemonic stance to prevail.

It is clear that the Greek Cypriot Administration intends to use the military cooperation between the USA and the GCA as a threat against our country.

Our state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will spare no effort to take all necessary steps, together with our Motherland Türkiye in order to ensure the security of the Turkish Cypriot people.