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Turkish media have intensified war rhetoric against Cyprus following a recent joint military exercise between U.S. Marines and Cypriot commandos. The exercise, PROTEAS – 04, took place from February 17 to 28, 2025, as part of the Cyprus–U.S. Bilateral Defense Program. Supervised by Cyprus’ National Guard Chief, Lieutenant General Georgios Tsitsikostas, and U.S. Ambassador Julie S. Davis, the training focused on special operations, including amphibious landings on hostile shores.
While Cypriot and U.S. officials emphasized the exercise's role in enhancing military cooperation and operational readiness, Turkish media reacted strongly. The newspaper Milli framed the drills as a direct threat to Turkey, running headlines suggesting the U.S. is supporting Turkey’s adversaries. The publication also referenced past U.S.-Cyprus military engagements, including a joint air defense drill in August 2024 and a cooperation agreement signed in January 2025.
With information from NewsAuto.
