Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar on Sunday called on the Greek Cypriot administration to reexamine its relationship with terrorism and terrorist organizations.
The Greek Cypriot administration permitted the PKK terrorist organization’s political wing PYD to open a representative office in the country, Tatar recalled in a written statement voicing support for Operation Claw-Sword Türkiye launched against terrorist bases in northern Iraq and Syria early on Sunday.
There is no difference between the PYD/YPG and the PKK, Tatar noted, all of which the Turkish Cypriot Parliament officially lists as terrorist organizations. "I’m calling on the Greek Cypriot administration to reexamine its relationship with terrorism and terrorist organizations and urging them to cease cooperating for political motives with terrorist groups that threaten humanity worldwide," Tatar said.
The Greek Cypriot administration in January of this year allowed the terrorist group to set up an office in Lefkoşa (Nicosia) in a move that drew an intense backlash from both TRNC and Türkiye.
TRNC Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu had lambasted the Greek Cypriot administration for having a "pro-terror attitude" and said the move would "lay the groundwork for illegal activities on the island."
"The recent step, which allows this bloody murder network to operate on the island through opening an office, is a new page in the Greek Cypriot administration's history that feeds terrorism," Sucuoğlu remarked.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu too promised the Greek Cypriots would "pay a heavy price if the PKK-linked terrorists carry out any attacks against Turkish Cypriots or Türkiye."
In his message on Sunday, Tatar also expressed faith that "the sacred struggle Türkiye, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Turkish people are waging with a spirit of national mobilization against vile terrorist groups will achieve success."
The TRNC will always stand with Türkiye against any kind of terrorist threat that targets Türkiye and jeopardizes national security, Tatar vowed.
Operation Claw-Sword is aimed at stopping terrorist attacks from northern Iraq and Syria against Turkish people and security forces, ensuring border safety, and eradicating terrorism at its roots, Tatar noted and said Türkiye was conducting the said operation within its legitimate rights granted by international law.
Ankara on Saturday night launched a counteroffensive air operation targeting the PKK and its offshoots PYD/YPG across its borders with Syria and Iraq, the Defense Ministry reported early Sunday.
The air raid, which is in line with the right of self-defense arising from Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, the ministry informed, struck terror nests across the region, making direct hits in at least 89 locations, including bunkers, shelters, caves, tunnels, ammunition depots, so-called headquarters and training camps.
After the operation, which mostly used domestic and national ammunition, all four Turkish warplanes returned safely to their bases, the ministry added.
The operation follows last Sunday’s terrorist attack on Istanbul’s bustling Istiklal Street that killed at least six and left 81 injured. The Turkish government said the attack was carried out by the PKK/YPG terrorist organization.
The attack was slammed as "an attempt to pull Türkiye back into the grip of global instability" by Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, a sentiment that was echoed by many other politicians, including President Erdoğan, who had assured those responsible for the attack would be held accountable.
The PKK/YPG, however, threatened to retaliate against Türkiye’s counteroffensive and launched two separate rocket attacks on the same day on the country’s southeastern border. At least eight Turkish security personnel, seven police officers and one soldier were wounded.