Now Greece and, and Turkey have, of course, fought a war over Cyprus in the past. Well, it's just off the underbelly, as we used to say, of the Turkish coast. It's very, very near to Turkey. If it became part of Greece, which is what the Turks have always said they'll never allow, it would complete a sort of Greek arm of islands that goes all the way from Athens practically to Beruit. It would mean that the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean were Greek-dominated.
Turkey is prepared to fight, and to risk war, to prevent that happening.
The Greek Cypriots don't want to join Greece, but so near to Turkey as they are, they do want Greek protection. And they are now getting it. The Greek Air Force lands planes in Cyprus on exercises. There is a new airport being built on Cyprus for the Greek Air Force to use. Enormous numbers of, of tanks are being brought into Cyprus to equalize the balance with Turkish superiority.