Türkiye says Greek Cypriots’ military alliances don’t stand a chance

The Ministry of National Defense on Thursday reiterated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s criticism of developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and said any military alliance targeting the rights and interests of Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots had no chance of success against Türkiye.

Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean escalated in recent years, in light of brewing conflicts in the Middle East and the lingering divide in Cyprus. Türkiye advocates for the sovereignty of Turkish Cypriots, whose Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) strives for international recognition while Greek Cypriots seek to boost their self-styled legitimacy through international alliances. The race for hydrocarbon resources around the island led to a build-up of tensions, with Türkiye and the TRNC seeking to defend their maritime rights as Greek Cypriots cooperate with other countries for offshore exploration.

In response to questions about the Status of Forces Agreement between France and the Greek Cypriot administration, the ministry said they were following “any provocation to destabilize the Eastern Mediterranean and escalating tensions.”

“The agreement between France, which has no guarantor status on Cyprus, and the Greek Cypriot administration aims to unilaterally change the sensitive balance in the island and ignores the will and sovereign equal rights of Turkish Cypriots. It is against the 1960 Cyprus treaties and international laws,” the ministry said, referring to the treaties that led to the creation of a state in Cyprus and designated Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom as guarantor states over the status of the island. “The illegitimate steps whose consequences are not thoroughly thought out can have dangerous consequences for the south of the island,” the ministry added.

“As the guarantor country, we will continue safeguarding the rights and interests of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and maintain its security. The Turkish Armed Forces have the determination to give the strongest response against hostile stands threatening the security of Turkish Cypriots,” the statement also said.

On Wednesday, Erdoğan named Israel as a destabilizing force in the region and said, along with its accomplices, that it aimed to “start a fire” in the Mediterranean.

Greek Cypriots have boosted their engagement with many countries, bolstering military cooperation in particular, with countries ranging from Israel to France and India. In the past two decades, it has signed agreements and protocols with the U.S., the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Czechia, Armenia, France, India, Jordan, Egypt and Greece for military alliances, transfer of military technology and use of air and maritime bases. In 2016, it signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Israel. The agreement’s content was not fully disclosed, but it is reported that the agreement allows Israel to use military bases and facilities in southern Cyprus, according to media reports. The Greek Cypriot administration also signed defense cooperation agreements with Israel in 2017 and 2024. The Greek Cypriot administration also signed a deal with France allowing deployment of French troops on the island. The deployment requires the approval of Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom, guarantor states of the divided island. The president said “some small circles whose ambitions are bigger than their size” have jumped on the Israeli bandwagon and served as “contractors of Zionism.”

“They are chasing dreams in the Eastern Mediterranean. Let me be clear: Do not engage in adventures, do not ride on the tails of the Zionist network of murderers. Our response to attempts at rights and sovereignty of Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean will be clear and very strong,” he said.

Tensions with Greece

The Defense Ministry also responded to claims that Turkish warplanes “harassed” Greek planes carrying Greek Defense Minister near the island of Cyprus. The ministry denied the claims and noted that it was Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration who were “occasionally violating TRNC airspace.”

“On June 7, four planes violated TRNC airspace, and our two F-16 jets deployed in the TRNC took off as a measure against the violation. They remained in TRNC airspace and did not violate Greek Cypriot airspace. It is unacceptable to accept statements and attempts seeking to stir up tensions in the region,” the ministry said.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia on the sidelines of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit of Heads of State and Government. According to Foreign Ministry sources, Fidan urged Greece to avoid steps that could harm regional stability or be directed against Türkiye.

The minister also said the draft maritime jurisdiction legislation currently on the agenda of the Turkish Parliament is a matter of domestic legislation, stressing that Türkiye respects international law and good neighborly relations. Dubbed the “Blue Homeland” law, the bill aims to reaffirm Türkiye’s maritime rights in the Aegean Sea, a hotly contested body of water between Türkiye and Greece and among major sources of contention as Athens and Ankara pursue rapprochement in ties stained with a history of hostilities.

The draft bill apparently angered Greece. Media reports say Athens is reportedly considering declaring new “marine parks” in the Aegean Sea while expanding the limits of its territorial waters south of Crete. The Greek government did not confirm reports, but Gerapetritis was recently quoted as saying that they would “absolutely utilize legal tools of response if Ankara takes this matter to new extremes.”

Fidan said Türkiye expects the same level of respect from all its neighbors and described as regrettable statements made by certain circles based on incomplete information regarding the draft law. He warned that such remarks could negatively affect bilateral relations and called for a more responsible approach.

DAILYSABAH