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Source: Washington – AFP
The United States announced Wednesday that it had partially lifted the one-year ban it had imposed for more than 30 years on the sale of “non-lethal” military equipment to Cyprus, angering Ankara.
The US State Department said in a statement that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “informed” the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiades, “of his decision to lift restrictions on the export, re-export and retransfer of materials and non-lethal defense services “.
He explained that the decision to lift the restrictions is “temporary for fiscal year 2021.”
The Congress of the United States voted a text in this direction last December.
The United States imposed the ban in 1987 to encourage reunification of the island that northern Turkey has occupied since its invasion in 1974.
The President of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiades
However, this procedure proved ineffective and rather encouraged the Cypriot government to turn to other partners without ending the division of the island.
Democratic Senator Bob Menendez praised “the recognition of the importance of” the relationship with Cyprus “as a reliable strategic partner.” “It is in our interest to lift these old restrictions on weapons that have been in place for decades, and to deepen our relationship with security,” he said in a statement.
However, the Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the partial lifting of the embargo and called on Washington to “back off” on this decision, which “will have a negative impact on efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem.”
In a statement, the ministry warned that “if this does not happen, Turkey will take the necessary reciprocity measures to guarantee the safety of the Turkish Cypriots.”
For his part, Pompeo reiterated the United States’ support for “a comprehensive solution to reunify the island within a federation.”
In July, the United States Secretary of State announced the strengthening of defense cooperation with Cyprus in the form of funding for military training.
The US announcement comes at a time of escalating disputes in the eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece, with growing displays of power between competitors and incidents that have deepened European concerns.
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