The Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the attack on a mosque in the territory of the Greek administration of South Cyprus in Limassol, Turanews.kz reports.
In a statement, the ministry said it “strongly condemns the early morning attack on the Ibrahimag Koprulu Mosque in Limassol. We fully support the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on this matter.”
The statement noted that the attack is the latest in a series of attacks against mosques in the region.
“This attack, which is the latest example of growing Islamophobia across Europe, is not only directed against Muslims, but once again shows how serious the threat to our common human values has become,” the statement said.
The statement also said that the attack is a “provocation” and “serves as additional proof that the concept of two states on the island is the only realistic model for resolving the Cyprus issue.”
The Turkish Foreign Ministry’s statement also said that the attack “indicates how far some segments of the Greek Cypriot community are from understanding that Muslim Turkish Cypriots should live together in peace, tranquility and tolerance.”
The statement called on the Greek Cypriot authorities to take “urgent measures” to prevent further attacks on mosques and other religious sites.
The attack on the mosque is a reminder of the ongoing tensions between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island. The two communities have been divided since 1974, when Türkiye dispatched peace forces on the island in response to a coup by Greek Cypriot nationalists.
The United Nations has been trying to broker a peace deal between the two sides for decades, but no agreement has been reached.
The attack on the mosque is likely to further complicate efforts to reach a peace deal.
