ISTANBUL, Sept 12 (Askume) – Turkey said it condemned a road map signed this week aimed at strengthening two-way defence cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus.
The move comes as the United Nations struggles to find common ground to revive long-stalled talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the Mediterranean island that has been divided for decades.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said US moves, including last June’s announcement to launch a strategic dialogue with Cyprus, were detrimental to the security of the Turkish Cypriot side of Cyprus.
“These steps … undermine the neutral position of the United States with respect to the island of Cyprus and make it more difficult to achieve a just, lasting and durable solution to the Cyprus problem,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.
The United States and the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus signed a roadmap for cooperation in Nicosia on Monday.
In the joint statement, the two defence ministries reaffirmed their commitment to address international security issues through cooperation through the roadmap.
Cyprus was partitioned in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup and a Turkish invasion. Peace talks have been stalled since 2017.
The Turkish Cypriot side runs a separate state in northern Cyprus that is recognised only by Ankara. It says the resumption of talks depends on acknowledging its equal sovereignty with the Greek Cypriot government.
