in-cyprus 31 August 2025 - by Costas Venizelos
The Turkish state has set up upgraded hybrid warfare mechanisms, using all technical means, including artificial intelligence, to target Cyprus, Greece, and other European countries. The goal is to undermine the “enemy” and promote the occupying power’s strategic expansionist ambitions.
This represents a new form of attack, and the methods used by Ankara are taking the Turkish state’s tactics to another level. These attacks are being assessed by European countries who consider themselves targets of this type of warfare, not only from Turkey but also from Russia and Iran. Turkey’s actions in the field of hybrid warfare are systematic, coordinated, and are causing serious concern. Nicosia is evaluating this activity and moving systematically to counter it.
Turkish Propaganda and Disinformation
According to what has come to light, Turkey is using fake social media accounts, primarily on TikTok and Instagram, to promote videos with disguised propaganda. These are deepfake videos that look authentic, making it difficult to discern that they were created with artificial intelligence. They are videos and audio clips in which someone appears to say or do things they never did. This is a new form of political propaganda where it’s hard to tell that it’s all fake. They spread lies and misinformation to achieve the occupying power’s goals.
The Turkish propaganda and disinformation machine seeks to achieve several objectives:
Undermining the Republic of Cyprus: The systematic effort aims to create an image of a state that is completely dependent on third parties, such as the US, France, and Israel. This narrative is promoted on social media to a domestic Cypriot audience, which is bombarded with misleading stories about the Republic of Cyprus’s role. This creates insecurity and disparagement, weakening the state.
Influencing Bilateral Relations: Turkish fake narratives about Cyprus aim to affect the Republic of Cyprus’s bilateral relations and international actions. For example, they try to create tension with Arab countries by promoting the narrative that the Republic of Cyprus is a “pawn” of Israel. It is no coincidence that these videos “bombard” the Muslim world.
Spreading False Narratives about Israeli Settlement: Recently, and in light of Israel’s actions in Gaza, deepfake videos have appeared featuring Israelis at Larnaca airport or in front of a building (obviously Greek Cypriot property), declaring that they will settle Cyprus because “God wills it” and has for “over 300 years.” In one video, someone allegedly says that if he doesn’t steal the (Greek Cypriot) property, someone else will! The Israelis are portrayed with hate speech. It is easy for someone to believe that the people in these videos are real.
Promoting the Two-State Solution: Videos are also posted regarding the Cyprus Problem. Their goal is to promote Turkey’s policy for a two-state solution by highlighting “realities.” One such video shows queues of cars at the Agios Dometios checkpoint, with the flags of the pseudo-state in the background. No one appears to be speaking in the video; it simply shows the “hardship” allegedly caused by Greek Cypriots at the checkpoint.
Threats in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): The threats in the EEZ, the obstruction of research, and the questioning of the Republic of Cyprus’s sovereignty are also part of this hybrid warfare. This is combined with threats and reinforced by the presence of warships in Cyprus’s maritime area.
Hezbollah Leader’s Threats: It’s worth remembering that Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, directly threatened Cyprus with attacks “if it makes bases available to Israel.” This statement, made by Nasrallah before he was killed by the Israelis in September 2024, was a result of false narratives promoted by Ankara that were believed. Nasrallah had said, word for word, that “Cyprus must be warned that opening Cypriot bases and airports to the Israelis to target Lebanon means that the Cypriot government has become part of the war. And the resistance will treat it (Cyprus) as if it were part of the war.” The Cypriot government responded by noting that the Republic of Cyprus “is not involved in any way in the military conflicts and is part of the solution, not the problem” (statement by President Christodoulides). The threat—which may have been made in coordination with Ankara—was recorded, reproduced, and created a misleading negative image of Cyprus.
Identifying the Users
Locating the users of these accounts, which is not difficult today, shows that the operation is managed centrally in Turkey. Users are also found in the occupied territories and in Europe, and they are Turkish and Turkish Cypriots. In the occupied territories, the people who promote these videos are also connected to the usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties. For example, land development entrepreneurs in occupied Trikomo are video producers.
Migration as a Weapon
As part of its hybrid warfare, Ankara has also weaponised the migration issue. It used it to pressure Europe by threatening to release Syrian refugees and “flood” the continent with displaced people. This created the impression in European societies that if the Turkish threat were carried out, it would affect the security and social cohesion of EU member states. Turkey wanted to scare and blackmail Europe. It used the same tactic against Greece (e.g., the Evros crisis) and Cyprus, by funnelling irregular migrants through the occupied territories and by sea. In the case of Greece and Cyprus, the occupying power carried out its threats.
After the war in Ukraine and the stance taken by the Republic of Cyprus, a news story was leaked that the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, was the owner of a hotel in occupied Cyprus. The story, which was presented as a fact, was initially believed to have been leaked by the Russian side. This may be true. However, it is also possible that it was the work of Turkish propaganda and disinformation mechanisms.
New Terms and Tactics
The term hybrid warfare first appeared in the early 2000s and refers to a new type of conflict adapted to the present day. Since then, this form of warfare has evolved with the use of technology. It is a war waged with both conventional and unconventional methods and tactics. Operations in this type of warfare can include cyber warfare, terrorism, guerrilla warfare, psychological operations, and disinformation.
The production of deepfakes is done through artificial intelligence, which has the ability to decipher an individual’s movements and speech, making it difficult or impossible to distinguish between what is real and what is fake.
