Türkiye’s Defense Ministry on April 30 warned that statements and actions by NATO allies France and Greece are raising tensions and risking regional peace, amid reports of a planned French troop deployment to Greek Cyprus.
In a statement after its weekly briefing, the ministry questioned what “concrete security need” would justify sending French forces to the Greek Cypriot administration, warning such moves could “disrupt the existing delicate balance and escalate tension.”
“Statements regarding Türkiye's regional role and its position within the European security architecture are incompatible with the principles of alliance law and solidarity,” it said.
The ministry also warned against any security alignments targeting Türkiye. "Any military alliance being formed in the region has no chance of success against Türkiye," it said.
It stressed that the security arrangements of Greek Cyprus are governed by international agreements and noted Türkiye’s role as a guarantor power, cautioning that the reported deployment could create future risks.
Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel also called the plan “an extremely dangerous, provocative and unacceptable step,” saying it would harm peace on the island and accusing Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides of ignoring the island's north.
Over the weekend, Christodoulides said an agreement with France for a troop deployment for “humanitarian purposes” is expected to be finalized in June, following closer ties between the two sides.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently said France would support Greece in the event of a threat from Türkiye, prompting criticism from Ankara.
"We will be here... That is the definition of friendship. The French-Greek alliance – this is it," Macron said during an event hosted by daily Kathimerini in Athens on April 25. "If your sovereignty is at risk, do what you have to do; we will be here."
The spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has denounced Macron's expressions as "extremely wrong" the practice of framing tensions between NATO allies while speaking in support of another alliance member.
"We see that France is displaying unnecessary generosity and audacity in using certain extreme rhetoric against Türkiye. This is not the right approach," Ömer Çelik said late on April 28 following a top AKP meeting.
