Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus warns against Southern Cyprus' increasing militarization

By Merve Berker

ANKARA (AA) – The Foreign Ministry of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Thursday expressed grave concerns over Southern Cyprus' increasing militarization and facilitation of foreign forces through strategic partnerships with powerful allies like the US.

American support for the administration in the southern part of the island, disguised as "strategic partnerships" and military collaborations with countries such as Israel and France, poses a significant risk to regional stability, the ministry warned.

The TRNC has repeatedly warned that these actions could disrupt the delicate balance of the Eastern Mediterranean.

According to recent media reports, Southern Cyprus is attempting to integrate Israel's air defense system into its own and has begun efforts and discussions about NATO membership, the statement said.

The ministry made it clear that "such attempts disregard NATO's principle of unanimous decisions for expansion and reflect Southern Cyprus' misplaced confidence bolstered by its allies."

It also criticized the EU’s "historical mistake" of admitting Southern Cyprus as a member without resolving the Cyprus issue.

"Southern Cyprus' NATO aspirations demonstrate how emboldened they have become under the support of certain powers," the ministry underlined.

The TRNC reaffirmed its opposition to Southern Cyprus' transformation into a military base serving the interests of external powers.

"We will continue our struggle as equal co-owners of the island," the statement read, warning that militarization under the pretense of a "security threat" can lead to catastrophic consequences for the entire island.

Lastly, the TRNC urged all parties to act with restraint and called on international actors to cease encouraging Southern Cyprus.

"We once again invite all stakeholders to exercise common sense and halt actions that escalate tensions," it added.

- Decades-long Cyprus problem

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, 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.

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 UK.

The Greek Cypriot administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots single-handedly blocked a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.