The Republic of Cyprus has raised the prospect that it could employ the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in any confrontation with neighboring Turkey, the Middle East News Online reported Thursday.
The warning was the first since 1998 by Cyprus that despite the transfer of the system to Greece the S-300 remains an option for Nicosia, it added.
The warning comes amid renewed tension on the island as international efforts to resolve the future of the divided island have reached a dead-end.
Cypriot officials were quoted by the agency as saying that their government still owns the missiles despite their deployment in Crete. The S-300, purchased for $250 million, has a range of 150 kilometers, which means it can cover a large portion of the western Turkish mainland.
"Sovereignty over the missiles still lies with Cyprus and they can be brought to Cyprus at any given moment," Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides said – Albawaba.com
