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Istanbul Turkey is planning to supply more weapons to occupied Northern Cyprus in response to the lifting of a US arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus.

Ankara issued strong criticism of the move. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu said the aim is to “protect the Turkish Cypriots” and supply whatever they needed.

Cyprus has been a divided island since the 1970s, following a Greek-led coup followed by a Turkish-led military invasion. The situation has resulted in a southern part of the island recognized as Cyprus that is a member of the European Union, while a northern part is only recognized by Turkey. Multiple attempts through the years to unify the island have failed.

In recent years, Northern Cyprus and Turkey have pushed for a two-state solution, whereas UN negotiators have pushed for a federal system with two states.

The US announced in mid-September that the Republic of Cyprus would be able to obtain arms from the United States without restrictions for the first time since 1987. The US State Department said that conditions had been fulfilled for the embargo to be lifted. (dpa)

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30/09/2022
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