President Nikos Christodoulides fired back at former European Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday after Michel defended Turkey in a social media post, telling him to remember that Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and continues to occupy European territory.
Christodoulides posted the rebuke in response to Michel’s post on X, in which Michel pushed back at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over a statement she made that targeted Turkey.
In his post, Michel described Turkey as a key partner and repeated a familiar argument made by many in European circles. “Turkey is: a key NATO ally, a key partner on migration, an energy corridor, an important defence factor in European weapons, and a serious regional power,” Michel wrote. “Europe doesn’t get stronger by applying double standards or simplifying reality.”
The intervention came after Von der Leyen said that “we must succeed in European integration so that Europe is not influenced by Russia, Turkey or China” — a statement that drew a sharp reaction from Ankara.
According to Bloomberg, the EU is rushing to calm tensions with Turkey triggered by Von der Leyen’s remarks, which named Turkey alongside Russia and China and created the impression that the NATO partner is regarded as a potential threat.
Christodoulides, in his post, pointed out to Michel that if he was raising the issue of double standards, he would do well to remember Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus and its continued occupation of European territory.
