Ankara called on countries supporting Greece's provocative, illegal actions in the Aegean Sea to adopt common sense, the National Security Council (MGK) meeting statement said Wednesday, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.
The statement, released after a four-hour meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the meeting focused on a range of issues, including the standoff with Greece, counterterrorism efforts, Azerbaijan-Armenia tensions and more.
"The circles encouraging Greece to deploy arms on islands with demilitarized status have been urged to adopt common sense," the statement said.
The meeting also called on the U.S. to reverse its decision regarding lifting the arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration, which it said: "Contradicts the spirit of the alliance."
Earlier this month, the U.S. lifted defense trade restrictions on the Greek Cypriot administration for the 2023 fiscal year, the State Department said. But the decision was quickly criticized by Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
The United States' decision to lift its arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration will "embolden" it and hence lead to an escalation in the region, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said, while Türkiye also "strongly" condemned the decision and warning that the move would harm efforts for a Cyprus peace deal, lead to an arms race on the island and undermine regional stability.
TRNC President Ersin Tatar warned in a statement that the decision could further heighten tensions between Ankara and Athens, both NATO members.
Türkiye also condemned Armenia for its provocative actions against Azerbaijan and said Ankara urged Yerevan to take advantage of the opportunity to make peace while reminding it of its responsibilities.