Turkey on Wednesday condemned a defense cooperation agreement between the United States and Cyprus, accusing Washington of abandoning its neutral stance in the long-standing conflict over the divided island.
“We condemn the signing of a roadmap for enhancing the bilateral defense cooperation between the United States of America (USA) and the Greek Cypriot Administration,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, calling on Washington to reconsider its policies vis-a-vis Cyprus.
The United States and the Republic of Cyprus on Monday signed a “Roadmap for Bilateral Defense Cooperation,” setting “priorities and direction of the bilateral defense relationship over the next five years,” the US Department of Defense said.
Cyprus remains ethnically divided between the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, led by Greek Cypriots, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey. This division stems from Turkey’s 1974 military intervention, which followed a Greek-led coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece. Turkey, Greece and Britain — who governed the island until Cyprus gained independence in 1960 — remain guarantor powers under the island’s complex political arrangement. Läs artikel