Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulidis said that the country will be able to apply for NATO membership after completing the modernization of its armed forces, which is being carried out with the support of the United States. At the same time, Turkey, which maintains more than 35,000 troops in the north of the island, is categorically against such intentions. It is reported Euronews and Associated Press.
The statement of Christodoulidis signals a change in the traditional neutral course of Cyprus, which has been going on since the days of the Cold War. His words came after a meeting with US President Joe Biden in October, as well as during discussions with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the summit of the European Political Community in Bucharest.
Christodoulidis noted that the key condition for potential entry into the Alliance is the improvement of the defense potential of the Cyprus National Guard. According to him, the US is helping to modernize the military infrastructure, in particular the air base on the island, which currently houses US Marines and V-22 Osprey aircraft.
“When everything falls into place, the Republic of Cyprus can become a member of NATO”, – the confident president of Cyprus.
He also emphasized the strategic location of Cyprus, as the closest EU member state to the Middle East, which adds weight to defense modernization plans. It is not yet known how it is planned to overcome the veto of Turkey, which does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and maintains a military presence in the northern part of the island. Turkey has already declared that any attempt by Cyprus to join NATO is unacceptable.
