Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil has said that more attention should be paid to the possibility of Cyprus becoming a gateway for aspiring foreign jihadists to transit in and out of the Middle East.
Bassil warned that Cyprus could be used “as a European country for foreign fighters to move from Europe toward the Middle East” and vice versa. Bassil was speaking after holding talks with Foreign Minister Yianakkis Kassoulides.
Last week local police ramped up screening at ports, airports and checkpoints to prevent Europeans from passing through en route to Syria to join the Islamic State group.
Tougher police scrutiny is now in operation at seven crossing points along the buffer zone. Greek Cypriot authorities say they are in touch with foreign intelligence services to help intercept such individuals. Last month Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides expressed “great concern” about developments in Lebanon, “where there is an immediate risk for Cyprus if ISIS or Jihadist terrorists advanced to the shores of the Mediterranean.” Kasoulides also stressed that “due to its geographical position, Cyprus is at the forefront and is the outpost of the EU in this turbulent region.”