Cyprus rejects Turkish claims of regional hegemony

On Monday, the Cyprus Foreign Ministry issued a formal response to comments made by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan regarding regional security. Fidan, in an interview with Anadolu on Sunday, alleged that Greece, Cyprus, and Israel are forming a strategic alignment intended to encircle Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean. He further criticized Greek policies as dangerous and questioned the necessity of military cooperation between these nations and Israel. In response, the Cyprus Foreign Ministry rejected these allegations as misleading and intended to create false impressions during a sensitive geopolitical period. The ministry asserted that the Republic of Cyprus adheres to a consistent foreign policy as a member of the European Union and denies any aspirations for regional dominance or revisionism. Furthermore, Nicosia accused Turkey of maintaining an illegal occupation of sovereign European territory with tens of thousands of troops. The Cypriot government maintains that Turkey's own military presence is the primary factor destabilizing the region. Both sides maintain conflicting views regarding the nature of trilateral partnerships and regional security arrangements.