Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense has condemned a new defense agreement between Cyprus and France, warning that it could destabilize the Eastern Mediterranean and threaten regional security.
The move came after Cyprus and France signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which strengthens defense cooperation between the two countries and allows for the conditional deployment of French military personnel and assets on the island nation.
Following a ministry press briefing, Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk, Press and Public Relations Advisor and Spokesperson for Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense, said Ankara was closely monitoring what it described as a provocative move that could escalate tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey objected to the agreement by arguing that France has no guarantor role in Cyprus. Ankara also claimed that the deal disregards the will and sovereign equal rights of Turkish Cypriots and seeks to unilaterally alter the delicate balance on the island.
Cyprus and France agreement challenges balance, Turkey claims
According to the Turkish Ministry of National Defense, the agreement signed between France and the Republic of Cyprus is contrary to the 1960 Cyprus Agreements and international law.
Aktürk warned that actions of this kind, which, according to Turkey, lack legitimacy and have not been carefully reviewed, could have dangerous consequences for the southern part of the island. Furthermore, any military alliance in the region that disregards the balance in Cyprus and targets the rights and interests of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots would not succeed against Turkey, he proclaimed.
“As a guarantor country, we will continue to protect the rights and interests and ensure the security of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, as we have done in the past and as we do today,” Aktürk maintained. He added that the Turkish Armed Forces have both the power and will to respond to the appropriate degree and in the most efficient way possible to any hostile stance which Ankara believes could pose a threat to the security of Turkish Cypriots.
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Cyprus and France sign SOFA in Nicosia
The agreement was signed in Nicosia on Monday by Cypriot Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas and French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin, who met on the sidelines of the informal meeting of European Union defense ministers, hosted by Cyprus. The SOFA had been discussed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Nicosia on April 23 and was later negotiated between the two governments.
It provides a legal framework for the presence of French military forces in Cyprus and also allows French military assets to be deployed in the southern part of the island under specific conditions, particularly in support of activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.
Agreement expands France-Cyprus defense cooperation
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides announced that the agreement has entered into force, reportedly granting France access to military bases and infrastructure in Cyprus.
The deal is also said to include provisions for the sharing of military technology, the conduct of joint exercises, and the establishment of a strategic dialogue framework between Cyprus and France.
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