The Cypriot Defense Ministry said yesterday it had decided to take stock of weapons issued to army reservists, following reports that Turkish-Cypriot officials have confiscated several assault rifles found in the cars of Cypriots visiting the Turkish-occupied north.

Defense Minister Koulis Mavronikolas confirmed that an investigation was under way, and called on reservists who may have had their standard National Guard G-3 rifles seized in the north but were ashamed to own up to the loss to come clean.

“This concerns our national security,” he said, and urged reservists to reconsider their security arrangements in storing the weapons. Mavronikolas added that there was no tangible evidence that rifles had been seized in the north.

It was unclear why reservists visiting the occupied territories would have wanted to take their rifles with them.