The US and NATO are encouraging Turkey’s demands against Cyprus

Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Giorgos Koukoumas

4 July 2023, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

Press reports in the Athenian newspaper “Kathimerini” suggest that the US are ready to satisfy Turkey’s unacceptable demands with changes to NATO’s operational maps, more specifically with a double name for the Straits, but also with the deletion of the name of the Republic of Cyprus. To Ankara’s satisfaction, in order to remove the name Republic of Cyprus, all the areas on the new NATO operational maps will be described with geographical coordinates. In effect, such a development would mean that NATO is encouraging Turkey’s theories of an “extinct” Republic of Cyprus.

We call on the government to inform us whether it had or has any knowledge of the alleged US proposals, but also about the stand of the other European NATO members to them, as well as what action it has taken or intends to take.

Such a development – if confirmed at the forthcoming NATO Summit in Lithuania – would not surprise us, but would refute for the umpteenth time the theories of the current and former governments about NATO and its role. And President Christodoulides, who has elevated the forthcoming NATO summit to a milestone for the Cyprus problem, must give second thoughts.