NICOSIA, Sept 26 (AFP) - Cypriot Justice Minister Doros Theodorou said in remarks published on Sunday that Chechen terrorists were being trained in the Turkish-held part of the divided Mediterranean island to strike Russian targets.
The charges were carried in an interview with the mass circulation Phileleftheros newspaper.
"There are Chechens and other terrorist groups over there (north) being trained," Theodorou was quoted by Phileleftheros.
"But we are mainly talking about Chechens who are trained to hit predominantly Russian targets," he said.
Earlier this month after the Breslan school massacre in southern Russia, a Greek Cypriot government spokesman denied that the authorities had any hard evidence of terrorist activity in the Turkish-held part of the island.
Theodorou insisted that the intellingence reports received by the internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot government were trustworthy.
He said he would suggest that the government make known the terrorist threat in the north to the international community, especially the European Union and the United States.
Both Brussels and Washington are seen as sympathetic to the Turkish Cypriot cause since Greek Cypriots rejected an UN peace plan at a referendum in April.
"Our side must establish what illegalities are going on and make the accusations at every level," said Theodorou.
"Our information is clean and from credible sources and we have every reason to trust them," he added.