Spain and Poland have not only assured that they will withdraw from Turkey's "Anatolian Phoenix 2023" drill, but it has been confirmed that they have indeed withdrawn, the Cyprus Foreign Ministry said Friday.
Replying to CNA questions, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Theodoros Gotsis, said that "not only have we received assurances, but it has been crosschecked and confirmed that our two partner countries in the European Union withdrew immediately after the representations that were made".
It is noted that the Nordic monitor website, alleges that a video shows that Spain has not withdrawn from the exercise.
It is recalled that right after the information about the participation of the two countries in the Turkish drill, in which "forces" of the separatist entity also participated on the basis of Turkey's systematic efforts to strengthen the position of the occupied areas internationally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on June 10 that following representations of the Ministry in coordination with the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic and the Ministry of Defence, the two countries informed that they are withdrawing from the exercise.
In a previous press release, the Foreign Ministry had pointed out that Turkey is systematically and unilaterally trying to include the illegal separatist entity in the occupied territories in military exercises it organises.
Last Sunday the President of the Republic had said that this is not the first time that this is happening and asked the states that are invited to participate in Turkey's exercises, to be particularly cautious.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus are only recongnised by Turkey.
Source: Cyprus News Agency