The Greek Cypriot administration will pay for any attacks perpetrated by the YPG against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Turkey, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Thursday.
“Permitting terrorist organizations to open offices equals playing with fire,” the foreign minister told reporters in a joint news conference with his Estonian counterpart Eva-Maria Liimets. He added that Turkey will make the Greek Cypriot administration pay a heavy price if the PKK-linked terrorists carry out any attacks against Turkish Cypriots or Turkey.
"If there is any threat from here tomorrow, if there is an attack against Turkey or the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), or if there is an attack on our Turkish Cypriot brothers, we will make them pay the price. This will be a heavy price, so they should not play with fire."
Noting that supporting terrorism is a serious issue, Çavuşoğlu said more countries are embracing the idea that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” He said that some countries have been exploiting terrorist groups in proxy wars and the latest example of this was the war against Daesh in Syria, where Western countries supported YPG/PKK terrorists.
“But as Turkey, we wanted to be in complete solidarity with all countries, even the ones that we had poor relations with. We have never supported any terrorist groups,” Çavuşoğlu said.
Saying that Greece hosts camps for PKK and DHKP-C terrorists, the foreign minister said the terrorists trained in those camps return to Turkey to carry out terrorist attacks.
He also criticized Greece for providing a safe haven for fugitive Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) members.
“We know the Greek Cypriot administration’s support for terrorist groups, including the PKK. This is not a secret,” Çavuşoğlu said, adding that they would have to pay a heavy price in case of a terrorist attack.
“They should not play with fire, and should not cooperate with terrorist groups,” he said, adding that even though they may diverge on different issues, they should have the same stance regarding terrorism, as it is a matter of security.
The Greek Cypriot administration allowed the YPG terrorist group's so-called political wing, the PYD, a Syrian affiliate of the PKK terrorist organization, to open a representative office in Nicosia (Lefkoşa).
The Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu also condemned the Greek Cypriot administration for its decision on Wednesday.
Greece has long been accused of being a favorite hideout for terrorists from the DHKP-C and PKK. Those fleeing Turkey have taken shelter in refugee camps in Lavrion near Athens under the guise of being asylum-seekers, especially in the 1980s. Despite the closure of Lavrion in 2013 amid pressure from Turkey, Greece continues to be the primary destination for DHKP-C terrorists.
