The speaker of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Republican Assembly on Wednesday strongly criticized the recent deployment of Israeli air defense systems to the Greek Cypriot administration, labeling the move as a direct threat to the TRNC's sovereignty.
In a statement issued during a meeting with Rauf Babacan, president of the Oktan Turkish Organization Association, Assembly Speaker Ziya Öztürkler condemned the collaboration between Israel and the Greek Cypriot administration, particularly the reported arrival of the Barak MX anti-aircraft system.
He emphasized that such actions undermine regional stability and peace efforts.
"We will destroy every negotiation table set against the TRNC, together with our motherland, Türkiye," Öztürkler declared, reaffirming the TRNC's commitment to its security and territorial integrity.
The TRNC speaker also expressed concern over India's military cooperation with the Greek Cypriots, despite India's lack of regional ties.
He deemed it unacceptable for countries with no direct connection to the Eastern Mediterranean to engage in provocative actions that could escalate tensions in the region.
The TRNC has expressed concern several times over growing defense and security ties between its southern neighbor and Israel.
Officials in the TRNC have criticized joint military exercises, intelligence sharing and the lifting of U.S. arms restrictions for the Greek Cypriot side as moves that could destabilize the region.
Plans by the Greek Cypriot administration to procure advanced air defense systems from Israel, including Iron Dome batteries, have also drawn criticism for potentially threatening Turkish Cypriot security.
In February, the Greek Cypriot administration handed over security responsibilities for Larnaca and Paphos airports to Israeli authorities. Turkish Cypriot officials viewed this as a further extension of Israeli influence on the island and an indication of the Greek Cypriot side’s increasing dependence on Israel for military and strategic purposes.
The TRNC has also raised concerns over Israeli expansion into strategic areas, including construction projects and marinas within the TRNC, which prompted the government to impose new property restrictions on foreigners in 2023. Turkish Cypriot authorities argued these developments threaten their sovereignty and access to natural resources.
These moves, combined with ongoing Israeli support for Greek Cypriot positions in international forums, have been cited by Turkish Cypriots as attempts to marginalize the TRNC and undermine the rights of Turkish Cypriots on the island.
The island has been split between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation of the island led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.
Greek Cypriots control the southern part of the island and are recognized by the international community as a state, despite protests from Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye. The TRNC is located in the northern part of the island and is recognized only by Türkiye.
It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the U.K.
The Greek Cypriot administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots single-handedly blocked a U.N. plan to end the longstanding dispute.
More recently, informal U.N.-led meetings have continued, including one in Geneva in March at the request of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. That meeting focused on practical cooperation in areas such as crossing points, demining and environmental protection. While progress was made on some issues, others stalled due to the stance of the Greek Cypriot side.
To help advance the process, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, the U.N. secretary-general’s envoy on Cyprus, was reappointed in May and has since conducted multiple visits and consultations with leaders and officials on the island, Türkiye, Greece, the U.K. and the EU. Despite her efforts, core political disagreements remain unresolved.
