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WORLD NEWS Thursday 3 sepTember 2020
Turkey criticizes U.S. decision to lift Cyprus arms embargo

By SUZAN FRASER and government spokesman
MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS who claimed that the re-
Associated Press port "highlights who is caus-
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — ing instability" in the region.
Turkey called on the Unit- He called the words of the
ed States to reconsider a spokesman in Athens, Ste-
decision to partially lift a lios Petsas, another exam-
33-year-old arms embar- ple of Greece's "provoca-
go against Cyprus, saying tive" policies.
Wednesday that the move Pompeo said U.S. President
disrupts "equality and bal- Donald Trump has urged
ance" between the Turkish both Erdogan and Greek
Cypriot and Greek Cypriot Prime Minister Kyriakos Mit-
communities on the ethni- sotakis to pull back and talk
cally divided island nation. things out.
Turkish Vice President Fuat "We're urging everyone to
Oktay said Ankara would stand down, to reduce ten-
continue to take steps to sions and begin to have
guarantee the security and diplomatic discussions
welfare of the self-declared about the conflicts ... in the
Turkish Cypriot state and of eastern Mediterranean,"
the Turkish Cypriot people Pompeo said. "It is not use-
"against such positions that ful to increase military ten-
increase the risk of confron- In this photo provided on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, by the Greek Defense Ministry, warships from sion in the region. Only
tation in the region." Greece, Italy, Cyprus and France, participate in a joint military exercise which was held from 26- negative things can flow
28 of August, south of Turkey in eastern Mediterranean sea.
Oktay said that Turkey and Associated Press from that."
the breakaway Turkish Cy- On Wednesday, Greece
priot state are "aware of ration of independence in The move came at a time on this for an awfully long carried out a bond auction
the games that are being the island's north, maintains of increased friction be- time. We know that this as part of efforts to boost
played against them." more than 35,000 troops tween Turkey and its east- decision was announced cash reserves for additional
The embargo, imposed there. Turkey's Foreign Min- ern Mediterranean neigh- in light of heightened ten- support to pandemic-hit
in 1987, was designed to istry said the U.S. decision bors, Greece and Cyprus, sions in the eastern Medi- businesses as well as de-
prevent an arms race that harms efforts to reunify Cy- over offshore energy explo- terranean, but we thought fense spending to face the
would hinder U.N.-facili- prus, "poisons" regional sta- rations rights. Warships from it was the right thing." crisis with Turkey.
tated reunification efforts bility and goes against the the two NATO allies have Turkey meanwhile, denied Cyprus government
for Cyprus. It was direct- "spirit of alliance" between been shadowing each oth- as a "figment of imagina- spokesman Kyriakos Koush-
ed against the southern, the U.S. and Turkey. er in recent weeks as Turk- tion" a German newspaper os told The Associated Press
Greek Cypriot part of the U.S. Secretary of State Mike ish survey vessels and drill report that claimed that that the Trump administra-
island, where Cyprus' inter- Pompeo informed Cypriot ships continue to prospect President Recep Tayyip Er- tion's action with the arms
nationally recognized gov- President Nicos Anastasia- for hydrocarbons in waters dogan had ordered the embargo was less about
ernment is seated. des in a telephone call late where Greece and Cyprus Turkish military to sink a bolstering the country mili-
Cyprus split in 1974 when Tuesday that the U.S. was claim exclusive economic Greek warship or to down tarily than underscoring the
Turkey invaded following partially lifting the arms em- rights. Greek jet but that Turkish significant role that Wash-
a coup by supporters of bargo against Cyprus for "It's been a long time com- generals refused. ington attributes to Cyprus
union with Greece. Turkey, one year — with the option ing," Pompeo said during a Turkish Foreign Ministry in helping to strengthen
the only nation to recog- of renewal — to let it pro- media briefing on Wednes- spokesman Hami Aksoy regional security and
nize a Turkish Cypriot decla- cure non-lethal equipment. day. "We've been working also slammed a Greek stability.q

German police raid 50 homes

in child porn investigation

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER police said. The suspects present a
Associated Press The suspects are accused cross section of society,
BERLIN (AP) — A thousand of sharing images of child young and old, single and
police officers in Germany sexual abuse through net- married, Cologne prosecu-
raided the homes of 50 works such as social media tor Markus Hartmann said.
people as part of a nation- and messenger services, The raids took places in 12
wide crackdown on the Michael Esser, director of states, with a focus on Ba-
online sharing and distri- criminal investigations for varia. They were part of an
bution of child pornogra- the Cologne police, said. investigation that began in
phy, Cologne police said None of them are suspect- October 2019 and has so
Wednesday. ed of directly abusing any far identified 207 suspects.
None of the 48 men and children, according to the "What's important is that
two women suspected of current state of the investi- we are seeing a new kind
involvement was arrested gation. of crime," Esser said. "The
during Tuesday's raids, but "Behind every picture there perpetrators are not acting A map of Germany shows the number of raid places at a press
investigators seized around is a victim of sexual abuse," on their own, but are part conference at the police department in Cologne, Germany,
2,000 phones, computers Esser said. "We will never of bigger networks which about nationwide child pornography raids, Wednesday, Sept.
and other devices upon give up the fight against are using the structures of 2, 2020.
which images were stored, pedophile criminals." online communication." q Associated Press