However, his visit prompted a sharp response from the Cypriot Foreign Ministry, which condemned it as "another illegal action by Turkey and a serious provocation which is against a member of the EU and, at large, against the EU itself and the international community in its entirety".
Međutim, njegova poseta izazvala je oštru reakciju kiparskog ministarstva inostranih poslova koje ju je osudilo kao "još jedan nezakonit postupak Turske i ozbiljnu provokaciju koja je usmerena protiv člana EU i uopšte protiv same EU i međunarodne zajednice u celini".