Turkish Cypriot Leader Criticises Republic’s Military Build‑Up Ahead of Independence Day Parade

Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel denounced the Republic of Cyprus’s recent military expansion, calling it a contradiction to peace talks. He cited Thursday’s Independence Day parade in Nicosia, where Greek F‑16 Viper jets and forces from Egypt, France, Britain and the United States marched alongside the National Guard’s first public display of an Israeli‑made Barak MX air‑defence system. Ustel argued that accelerating armament, inviting foreign contingents and using hostile language undermines trust and the possibility of reunification. President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias defended the upgrades as necessary deterrence against a long‑standing occupation, while Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas stressed Cyprus’s defensive posture. Ustel reiterated the Turkish Cypriot claim that two sovereign states must coexist with equal status, a stance he says cannot be negotiated away.