ATHENS, 19 July – RIA Novosti. The Russian Embassy in Cyprus compared the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 to a Russian special military operation in Ukraine, calling it an “open policy”.

The main thing is the fact that in 1974 Cyprus did not pose the slightest threat to continental Turkey, neither militarily nor geopolitically.

“On the contrary, in the last few years Ukraine has been deliberately reshaped by Western countries as a hostile and aggressive springboard against us directly at our borders. Since 2014, the Kyiv regime has been actively “stuffed” with money and weapons. Hundreds of Western military trainers have openly worked on the territory of Ukraine , preparing the Ukrainian army for war with Russia, not to mention the network of US military biological laboratories on this country’s territory and President Zelensky’s claims to nuclear power status,” the embassy said.

The diplomatic mission also drew attention to the difference in policy.

The Russian embassy asks the question: Was Cyprus turned into a paramilitary base in the 70s by third countries under the slogan “Anti-Turkey”, from which Ukraine was withdrawn as “Anti-Russia”?

The Russian embassy said, “Of course not. Therefore, we view any analogy in this regard as outright politics and an attempt to score dubious points on an issue that is painful for every Cypriot on the eve of the presidential election.” said.

Presidential elections in Cyprus will be held on February 5, 2023.

Cyprus President Nikos Anastasiades, who did not participate in the elections, made various statements about “the similarities between Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine” and claimed that “the excuses are the same”.

Cyprus has been de facto divided between the Greek and Turkish communities since 1974, following a coup in Cyprus and an armed invasion by Turkey provoked by an attempt to annex the island to Greece. In 1983, 37% of the island lands, where the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was declared, was occupied. Only Turkey recognized this.

The UN mediates the negotiations between the Greek and Turkish communities on the reunification of Cyprus. They were interrupted in 2017 after the failure of the next tour, held in the Swiss town of Crans-Montana. Attempts are now being made to restart negotiations.