Former Turkish defence minister threatens Greek Cypriots with ‘last Easter’

Turkish parliamentary defence committee chairman Hulusi Akar on Wednesday threatened Greek Cypriots that the coming Easter may be their last in a post on social media.

“In the homeland of the Turkish Cypriots, those dreaming of Easter… This will be your last Easter,” he wrote, with the post accompanied by a map of Cyprus with its northern third overlayed with the flag of the ‘TRNC’.

The post is the latest in a series of Cyprus-related social media activity on Akar’s part in recent days.

On Saturday, he had posted a gif image of the flags of Turkey and the ‘TRNC’, accompanied with the text, “rely on your common sense”, “the genie is out of the bottle”, and “the lesson given out by the Turkish soldiers will be harsh”.

Hours later, he wrote, “this is a reminder!!!”.

Last week, he had met Turkish Cypriot representative in Ankara Ismet Korukoglu, and wrote of that meeting that “Cyprus is not a Greek island”, and that “the island is the homeland of the Turkish Cypriots, watered with the blood of martyrs”.

“Today, two sovereign, equal states are inevitable. We are one, we are together, we are determined, we are resolute,” he added.

In his social media posts, he typically refers to the “Turkish Republic of Cyprus”, having proclaimed back in 2024 that “there is no Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, but a Turkish Republic of Cyprus”.

More recently, he paid a visit to Cyprus last month, holding meetings with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, the north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel, ‘parliament speaker’ Ziya Ozturkler, the chiefs of staff of the Turkish armed forces in Cyprus, and Turkey’s ambassador in Nicosia Ali Murat Basceri, among others.

He also paid a visit to Varosha.

Akar is a retired four-star general who had previously served as chief of staff of the Turkish armed forces and then as defence minister between 2018 and 2023.