The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that both Poland and Spain have withdrawn from joint military exercises which included the north’s military.

Ministry spokesperson Theodoros Gkotsis said the ministry has received confirmation that both countries had withdrawn their participation in the Anatolian Phoenix exercises with immediate effect.

The Foreign Ministry also said that Turkey is “systematically and unilaterally attempting to shoehorn the illegal breakaway entity in the occupied areas into its military exercises”.

Earlier, President Christodoulides had said that “this is not the first time that this has happened” and warned countries which are invited to take part in exercises with Turkey to be especially careful.