Türkiye slams EU Parliament over 'slander' targeting military

European Parliament Proposal

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday strongly criticized the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality for recommending budget allocations for a monument aimed at "slandering" the Turkish Armed Forces regarding the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation. The ministry stated that the committee's opinion on the EU's 2027 budget included funding for a structure to be built by the Greek Cypriot Administration.

"The allegations put forward by the Greek Cypriot side distort historical facts and politicize them," the ministry said in a statement. Ankara learned of the recommendation through diplomatic channels and immediately moved to challenge what it described as a one-sided narrative promoted by the Greek Cypriot leadership.

Historical Context

The ministry emphasized that the Turkish Armed Forces prevented the destruction of the Turkish Cypriot people through the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, bringing peace to the entire island that has lasted for more than half a century. "Instead of contributing to a settlement of the Cyprus issue, EU institutions are moving away from the principles of impartiality and justice and allowing themselves to become instruments of Greek Cypriot propaganda, further undermining trust between the two communities," the ministry said.

EU Relations

The statement warned that such actions risk deepening divisions rather than fostering reconciliation on the divided island. "We call on EU officials not to become tools of circles that seek, with every step they take, to push Türkiye further away from the EU," it added. The Cyprus issue has remained unresolved since 1974, with Turkish Cypriots declaring independence in 1983 as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Ankara.