"Now we see an attempt to ignite a fire of discord in the Mediterranean, especially on the island of Cyprus," he said, two days after an agreement was signed expanding Franco-Cypriot defence cooperation.

"If the rights and laws of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots are threatened in the eastern Mediterranean, our response will be very clear and very harsh."

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 after Ankara occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece.

Today it comprises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognised by Ankara, and the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus, a European Union member that controls the island's majority Greek Cypriot south.

The agreement was signed on Monday with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides saying it would deepen bilateral defence ties and contribute to greater strategic autonomy for the EU, the rotating presidency of which is currently held by Nicosia.

When French President Emmanuel Macron visited in April, he said France and Cyprus were seeking to build the necessary framework for hosting French forces "for humanitarian operations in the wider Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East".

He also visited in March, shortly after the island was targeted by Iranian drones, mainly aimed at two British sovereign bases located there.

Paris was one of the first European countries to deploy defensive military capabilities to Cyprus following the drone attacks, with Turkey also sending six F-16 fighter jets to the north.