The foreign minister of Cyprus accused Turkey of "militarisation of its foreign policy" in an attempt to promote a new Ottoman empire in the region. The Ottoman empire controlled much of southeastern Europe, western Asia and northern Africa between the 14th and early 20th centuries from Constantinople, which is now Turkey's largest city, Istanbul. Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus accused Turkey of aggressive behavior not only in Cyprus, but in Syria, Iraq, Libya and other Arab countries in the region. "This is of great concern for all the countries in the region," he said. "There is not a single neighbouring country that doesn't have problems with Turkey," he said.
Turkey occupies and maintains a military presence in 'Northern Cyprus'. The relations between the two countries had worsened under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Christodoulides during which he emphasised the need to adhere to the relevant UN Security Council resolutions in respect to the island nation. Tweeting about his meeting with Christodoulides, Jaishankar on Wednesday said: "Working to take our economic ties forward. Appreciated his regional insights. Important that relevant UN Security Council resolutions in respect of Cyprus are adhered to by all". Jaishankar's tweet came hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a reference to Kashmir in his address to the UN General Assembly.
