Cyprus welcomes ‘landmark’ US lifting of 1987 arms embargo even as Türkiye condemns move

The lifting of the embargo is conditional on Nicosia continuing to block Russia warships from its ports
Türkiye, which has thousands of troops in northern Cyprus since its 1974 invasion, “strongly condemned” the move, saying it will lead to an arms race

European Union

Agence France-Presse

Published: 8:36pm, 17 Sep 2022

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Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades welcomed on Saturday a “landmark” decision by Washington to fully lift a decades-old arms embargo, conditional on Nicosia continuing to block Russian warships from its ports.

The US imposed the arms embargo on the entire Cyprus in 1987 in the hope it could encourage its reunification.

The Mediterranean island has been divided between the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus and a breakaway northern statelet, set up after a Turkish invasion launched in 1974 in response to a coup sponsored by the military junta then ruling Greece.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken lifted defence trade restrictions to Cyprus, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

Anastasiades, leader of the island’s Greek Cypriots, said it was “with great satisfaction” that he welcomed the announcement “on the complete lifting of the US arms embargo” on his country, the most easterly member of the European Union.

“This is a landmark decision, reflecting the burgeoning strategic relationship between the two countries, including in the area of security,” he added.

In contrast, Türkiye on Saturday “strongly condemned” Washington’s move.

“This decision … will negatively affect the efforts to settle the Cyprus issue and will lead to an arms race on the island,” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Critics said the embargo was counterproductive, forcing Cyprus to seek other partners, while Türkiye, a Nato member, has stationed tens of thousands of troops in northern Cyprus since its 1974 invasion.

Turkish troops parade atop armoured vehicles in the northern part of Nicosia, the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, in 2020. Photo: AFP

In December 2019, the US Congress voted to lift the arms embargo to allow “non-lethal” military hardware to be exported.

US officials had been concerned that the ban brought Cyprus closer to Russia, with the island in 2015 signing off on an access deal to its ports.

“Cyprus has met the necessary conditions under relevant legislation to allow the approval of exports, re-exports, and transfers of defence articles,” Price said on Friday.

The decision was subject to an annual review, he added, conditional on Cyprus “continuing to cooperate” with Washington, including on “continuing to take the steps necessary to deny Russian military vessels access to ports for refuelling and servicing”.

UN-brokered negotiations aimed at solving the Cyprus problem have repeatedly failed.

The last round, held in Switzerland in 2017, had aimed to secure the island’s reunification in a federation.

Ersin Tatar, leader of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus – recognised only by Ankara – also condemned the end to restrictions on US arms.

“With the lifting of the embargo, the Greek Cypriots will obtain weapons of attack,” Tatar told Turkish state broadcaster TRT Haber.

“This goes beyond the framework of defence … and will increase tensions.”