Cyprus is upgrading: NATO's joining threatens despite Turkish resistance?

Cyprus is upgrading: NATO's joining threatens despite Turkish resistance?

The Republic of Cyprus is urging NATO accession and already has concrete plans for this. President Nikos Christodoulidis presented them during a visit to the White House with US President Joe Biden. According to a report by the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, it is a detailed and long -term plan that is subject to several, dependent phases and has already been accepted by Washington. However, there are currently hurdles, since Turkey, a NATO member, raises objections to the admission of Cyprus. Nevertheless, the Cyprical National Guard is already formed in such a way that it fulfills NATO's standards, as Christodoulidis explained.

military cooperation with the USA

In order to intensify military cooperation with the United States, Cyprus plans to provide it as an air force base. This is of particular importance, since the geostrategic location of Cyprus, only about 250 kilometers from Lebanon, plays a key role in the Middle East. Ankara, on the other hand, rejects Cyprus membership in NATO as long as the island remains divided and the Turkish Cypriots cannot have a say, so Kleinezeitung.at .

The island of Cyprus has been de facto since 1974. In the north, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognized by Turkey worldwide, is occupied by Turkish troops, while the south is recognized internationally as a Republic of Cyprus and has been a member of the EU since 2004. The pressure on increased military cooperation is growing, and the Cyprical government also negotiates the upgrading of a naval base with the EU to strengthen the republic's ability to defend. Currently, the United Nations are to prepare peace talks between the rival pages in Cyprus to find a possible solution for the division of the island, such as Zeit.de reported.