Turkish defence ministry spokesman rear admiral Zeki Akturk on Thursday called for “common sense to prevail” after rocks were thrown at Turkish Cypriots on the anniversary of the creation of Eoka and former Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar warned Greek Cypriots that they may be facing their “last Easter”.

He took umbrage at Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides’ statements regarding Eoka as well, saying that Christodoulides’ characterisation of Eoka fighters as “warriors for freedom” constitutes “a clear indication that historical facts continue to be distorted”.

“The dissemination of this approach, which is contrary to the truth, to children and young people on the Greek Cypriot side weakens the basis for mutual dialogue and understanding on the island,” he told a press conference.

On this matter, he said that the throwing of rocks at Turkish Cypriots “are also a reflection of this distorted mentality today”.

“The Turkish Cypriot side, as always, maintains its constructive and good-faith stance towards establishing a just, lasting, and sustainable solution on the island. In this context, we reiterate that we are taking the necessary measures against all threats and acts of violence directed at the Turkish Cypriot people’s security,” he said.

He added that “avoiding initiatives which could increase tension on the island and allowing common sense to prevail are of great importance”.

Those comments come after Akar, who now chairs Turkey’s parliamentary defence committee, had written in a post on social media that “in the homeland of the Turkish Cypriots, those dreaming of easter… this will be your last Easter” amid a flurry of social media posts about Cyprus in recent days.

Prior to that, rocks and firecrackers had been thrown across the buffer zone at Turkish Cypriots in Nicosia.

The incident was captured by local CCTV cameras, with video footage showing a man clad in black on Markos Drakos street, below the city walls’ Roccas bastion, which is under Turkish Cypriot control, throwing projectiles at people stood in the park atop the bastion.

A second video shows a larger group of men clad in black on Paphos street, inside the walls near the Roccas bastion, though it does not show any of them throwing projectiles.

In response, Cypriot Justice Minister Costas Fitiris had said that “when someone wants to exaggerate an issue, even if it exists, they can do it, and the Turks are specialists in such things”.

He added that the matter is under investigation. No arrests have been made thus far.