Closer ties between its NATO ally the United States and the Greek Cypriots on the island of Cyprus, where it serves as a guarantor state, concerns Türkiye.
Sources from the Ministry of National Defense joined the Foreign Ministry's earlier criticism of the "Roadmap for Defense Cooperation" agreement between the U.S. and the Greek Cypriot administration. They called for a reassessment of approaches that ignore the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Responding to journalists' questions after the weekly press briefing, ministry sources criticized the agreement, stating that it undermines the U.S.' neutral stance toward the island of Cyprus and that it threatens the security of Turkish Cypriots. "The approach that ignores Northern Cyprus and sees the Greek Cypriots as the sole representative of the island should be reassessed,” it added. The ministry emphasized that a sustainable solution for Cyprus requires "a cooperative relationship based on sovereign equality and equal international status." Türkiye reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Turkish Cypriots' security and prosperity, citing guarantee and alliance agreements.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Cyprus has called on the U.S. to end its "partisan attitude" on the Cyprus issue.
"We call on the U.S., which we now see as an open party in the Cyprus issue, to act with common sense; to put an end to its efforts to change the delicate balances in the region and to end its partisan stance on Cyprus," a statement by TRNC's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "The 'port visits' made by the U.S. Navy warships to the Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus, the steps taken to advance the 'strategic partnership' between the two sides, and the annual renewal of the U.S. decision to lift the arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus are clear indicators of the U.S.'s biased support for the Greek Cypriots, especially in recent times," the ministry said.
Stressing the TRNC highlighted "dangers" that such moves could pose on regional balances, it said: "The U.S. continues its biased support for the Greek Cypriots, despite all the risks involved." It also expressed readiness "for any threat that may arise against the Turkish Cypriot people," adding that the TRNC reserves the right to take the necessary steps together with Türkiye.
The U.S.-Greek Cypriot agreement was signed earlier this week by the administration’s defense minister Vassilis Palmas and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander at a ceremony in Lefkoşa (Nicosia).
Washington enacted an arms embargo on Greek Cyprus in 1987 to prevent a potential arms race from harming peace talks with Turkish Cypriots but lifted it in 2022. One month after that, the U.S. also announced that under the Defense Department National Guard’s State Partnership Program, the Greek Cypriot administration had been paired with the National Guard in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Both moves were strongly criticized by Türkiye and the TRNC.
Following reports that British and U.S. bases on the island support Israel’s attacks on Gaza, TRNC President Ersin Tatar accused the Greek Cypriot administration of endangering the island’s 50-year peace period by becoming a logistical base serving Western interests.
Britain has two bases in Cyprus, considered independent territories, allowing it to maintain a permanent military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean and conduct highly confidential military and intelligence activities. The bases host an extensive network of British and U.S. intelligence facilities, according to Declassified U.K., which reports on the work of military and intelligence agencies.
Türkiye, too, has recently hit out at attempts by the Greek Cypriot administration to build a naval base on the southeastern coast in collaboration with Greece.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned Ankara would not shy away from constructing naval bases or other maritime structures in Northern Cyprus if this proves "necessary."
Mentioning that Türkiye has been building a Parliament and Presidency building in the TRNC, Erdoğan said: "They (the Greek Cypriot side) are building a military base; we are establishing a political presence."
Erdoğan also urged against moves escalating tensions on the island, adding that "complicity in massacres in Israel would serve neither the Greek Cypriots nor Greece."
