Cyprus has said that Turkish hackers attacked its parliament’s website last month.
The Cypriot Digital Security Authority investigated the cyber attack, which took place on April 5th, and found that the source came from internet protocol (IP) addresses linked to a Turkish hacker group.
A government statement went on to add that “thanks to the timely response to the incident there has been no negative result, and that additional security measures have subsequently been taken as a precaution”, Greek newspaper Proto Thema reports.
The cyberattack comes as attempts by the Turkish government, led by Islamist president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has largely failed in pushing for a two-state solution to the separation of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus and the Greek-speaking Republic of Cyprus, which holds sway in the island’s south.
While the Greek-speaking south has rejected the idea of a two-state solution, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has continued to back the proposal. Currently, only the Turkish government recognises Northern Cyprus, which was established after a Turkish invasion in 1974.
Last week, during informal United Nations talks on the Cyprus issue attended by the leaders of both halves of Cyprus, Northern Cyprus foreign minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu labelled the talks a breakthrough for Turkish Cypriots.
“It is our sovereignty that we defend, it is the equal status of our state. ‘The Cyprus issue is a status issue,’ we have repeatedly stressed,” he said.
Issues in Cyprus come as tensions between Greece and Turkey, whose foreign ministers also attended the Geneva talks, remain high after months of agitation on issues such as maritime sovereignty and mass migration.
Greek Cyprus has also been affected by mass migration in recent months, with the government reaching out to the European Union to help deal with an influx of migrants.
Some estimate that the number of asylum seekers in the country is equal to four per cent of its overall population.