Turkey’s Defense Ministry lashed out at the Republic of Cyprus on Thursday after its president, Nikos Christodoulides, reiterated the island nation’s aspirations to join NATO.
Nicosia has no grounds for applying for membership in NATO, sources in the ministry were quoted by the Turkish news site TRT Haber on Thursday, “but even its attempts are an unacceptable development for Turkey.”
“As a NATO member-state, Turkey reminds that the decisions for the alliance’s expansion are taken unanimously and argues that these processes should be carried out by taking into account a country’s national security concerns,” the sources added, echoing earlier comments from Ankara indicating that it would use its veto to block any attempts by the Republic of Cyprus to join the alliance.
“This attempt will disrupt the delicate balance in the Cyprus issue and negatively affect the negotiation processes aimed at a solution,” the ministry sources added, referring to ongoing international efforts to broker a peace deal on the divided Mediterranean island.
On Thursday, Christodoulides told the Associated Press that Cyprus could apply to become a member of NATO once its armed forces receive the necessary training and equipment with US help to bring them up to the standards of the world’s premier military alliance.
Christodoulides said that although Cyprus can’t join NATO at this time because of objections that Turkey would raise to its potential membership, the Cypriot National Guard shouldn’t be denied the opportunity to upgrade its defensive capabilities with US assistance.
“And because we don’t want the National Guard to lose such opportunities, we’re in talks with the US—and we thank them for their positive response—on how the Cyprus Republic can make the best use of these opportunities, so when everything is in its place, the Cyprus Republic can become a member state of NATO,” Christodoulides told The Associated Press.
“The strengthening of the Cyprus Republic’s deterrent capabilities is of the utmost importance, and we take advantage of every opportunity, both in the direction of the United States and NATO, but also the European Union,” he said.
The Cypriot President was in Washington recently, where he held talks with his outgoing US counterpart, Joe Biden. According to reports, he presented a plan for Cyprus to eventually join NATO.
According to exclusive information obtained by Kathimerini, the proposal, characterized by its detailed and long-term approach, consists of interdependent stages and has already received a positive response from Washington.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reportedly described it as a “win-win” situation, emphasizing the significant opportunities such a development could create.
Related: Standing Together: Greece and Cyprus Advocate for UN-Led Resolution
