Unprecedented tensions erupted between Greek MPs and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar at a meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee and the Mediterranean and Middle East Task Force in Constantinople on Tuesday afternoon.
After his speech, the Turkish Defence Minister received questions from MPs Spilios Libanos, Manouso Voloudaki, Andreas Loverdos and Theodora Tzakri regarding the Turkish invasion of Kyrpos and the casus belli.
The deputies stated that the Turkey to claim that it respects the territorial sovereignty of other States at the time it has invaded Cyprus and challenges the sovereignty of many islands.
Akar again referred to the issue of territorial waters, the demilitarization of Greek islands. He accused Greece of supporting terrorists and flying with fighter jets over Turkish territory.
Regarding Cyprus, he replied that the “peace operation” on the island was not an invasion and since Greece characterize northern Cyprus as occupied, it means that “Greece want war”.
“If you say that the northern part of Cyprus is occupied, you want to fight from the beginning. Turkey is not an occupier in the north of Cyprus. Massacres and coups took place there until 1974. The lives of even the Greeks were in danger.
We started a peacekeeping operation in 1974. From 1974 until now, both the south and the north have been living in peace. You have to see this. You should not be biased. Despite all its shortcomings, the Turks accepted the UN Annan Plan as a solution in 2014. The Greek side did not accept it,” Hulusi Akar replied.
The argument between the Greek MPs and the Turkish Minister of Defense lasted more than 10 minutes and ended with Akar leaving the meeting room visibly irritated.
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