Our Ministry announced earlier that the Greek Cypriot side has recently increased its armament activities and the military exercises conducted with certain countries. This time, the press reported that there was a target practice for Greek Cypriot priests organized by the Greek Cypriot National Guard in collaboration with the Greek Orthodox Church. It is not surprising for the Greek Orthodox Church, sparing no effort to keep the enmity alive against the Turkish existence on the island, to involve in such a provocative act. We condemn this shooting exercise in the strongest possible terms, which went as far as awarding the best striking priests.
Likewise, it had appeared on the press in the past that the Greek Orthodox Church had participated in similar exercises of the Greek Cypriot National Guard and funded the Greek Cypriot National Guard.
This hostile act, witnessed by the whole world, demonstrated the main purpose of the Greek Cypriot leadership and the Greek Orthodox Church. It is of paramount significance to see that the international actors, supposedly supporting an agreement on the island, remain silent against these video footages.
Continuation by the Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus of its armament and military activities proves that the Turkish Cypriot people are justified in seeing the existence of their sovereign State and Motherland Turkey’s effective guarantee as prerequisite.