Erdogan: 'Turkish army is not an occupation force in Cyprus '
FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE 08.JUN.10
Turkish Cypriot Halkin Sesi newspaper reports that the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has alleged that the Turkish army is not an occupation force in Cyprus and that its presence aims at protecting peace.
During a joint press conference yesterday with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Mr Erdogan responded to a question regarding his views on the information that Israel is considering of sending a ship to the government-controlled areas of Cyprus in order to protest against the Turkish occupation of the island.
“They are doing this any way, we are used to it. Our stance towards them is known”, claimed Mr Erdogan and alleged that the Turkish army is not occupier in Cyprus, that Turkey’s presence on the island aims at protecting peace as guarantor power and that comments outside this context are “totally forged and unacceptable”.
Mr Erdogan went on and claimed the following: “You know that in the same manner, troops exist in south Cyprus as well. At the moment the UN Peace Keeping Force has troops there. All these are there. We must speak taking into consideration these realities. It is definitely not possible for us to see positively the label that the Turkish army is occupier. Our army is carrying out its duty there completely as guarantor power”.
