Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos challenged Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s claim that Greece, Cyprus and Israel have formed a military alliance against Muslim countries in the region. Cyprus’ foreign ministry said the claims were rejected and pointed to what it described as Turkey’s continued illegal occupation of Cyprus.
Video highlights meetings with regional counterparts
In a video published on Monday, the foreign ministry showcased Kombos’ diplomatic meetings with Gulf counterparts and included footage of his meetings with officials from Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Qatar, along with representatives of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Rebuke follows remarks at Antalya Diplomatic Forum
The ministry’s response came after Fidan, speaking at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum on Sunday, criticised Cyprus and Israel and said the two states, alongside Greece, had “formed an alliance against Muslim countries in the region”.
Cyprus cites occupation in rejecting accusations
The ministry said such claims “are rejected”, arguing they ignore what it described as “the continued illegal occupation of Cyprus”. It added that “it is Turkey itself that illegally occupies sovereign European territory, with tens of thousands of soldiers in an offensive posture.”
Fidan raises concerns over trilateral cooperation
The response followed earlier comments by Fidan in an interview with Anadolu, in which he raised concerns about growing strategic cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Israel. He said Ankara was closely monitoring what he described as a regional alignment that could be perceived as “an operation aimed at encircling Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean”.
Criticism of Greece and questions over strategic logic
Fidan said Athens was pursuing “extremely dangerous policies,” adding that “there are very interesting aspects in Greece’s attempt to pursue a kind of policy that no other country in Europe follows alone.” He questioned the strategic logic of the trilateral partnerships and rejected the suggestion that either Greece or Cyprus “need military cooperation with Israel,” saying, “What strategic logic could justify seeking this kind of cooperation is something that not even they can explain to me”.
Claim about Israel’s regional posture
Fidan also alleged that Israel could attempt to redefine its regional adversaries, saying Israel “may seek to characterize Turkey as a new adversary after Iran, as it cannot survive without an enemy.”
What do you make of the competing claims about regional cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean?