Cyprus Blocks Turkey From Eu Defence Programme: What This Means For Greece, Nato, And Eu Relations

Published on October 24, 2025

Cyprus has successfully blocked Turkey’s information successful nan European Union’s Security Action for Europe (Safe) defence procurement programme, a determination that has been formally accepted by nan EU. President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus confirmed nan move connected October 23, 2025, during his presence astatine a European Council gathering successful Brussels.

Christodoulides stated that Cyprus’ position regarding nan removal of non-member states, peculiarly those pinch unresolved territorial disputes aliases information concerns pinch EU personnel states, had been officially adopted by nan European Union. His comments emphasized nan stance that nary 3rd state that occupies territories aliases threatens nan information of EU personnel states could participate successful aliases utilise immoderate EU defence and information instruments.

Greece’s Stance connected Turkey’s Participation successful nan EU Programme

The announcement comes aft Greece reaffirmed its volition to veto Turkey’s information successful nan Safe programme unless Turkey revokes its arguable 1995 parliamentary resolution. This resolution, which declares immoderate Greek action beyond 12 nautical miles successful nan Aegean Sea arsenic a “casus belli” aliases origin for war, has been a long-standing constituent of contention betwixt nan 2 countries.

The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it clear that Greece will not judge Turkey’s engagement successful nan Safe programme while nan casus belli remains successful place. Lana Zochiou, a spokesperson for Greece’s overseas ministry, further stressed that lifting nan casus belli is simply a basal precondition for immoderate meaningful discussions betwixt nan 2 countries.

Cyprus’ Firm Opposition to Turkey’s Participation

Cypriot officials person besides consistently expressed their disagreement pinch Turkey’s imaginable information successful nan EU Safe programme. In a gathering pinch EU overseas affairs main Kaja Kallas and European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, Cypriot Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas reaffirmed Cyprus’ clear guidance to including Turkey successful nan programme. Palmas emphasized that Cyprus’ stance was rooted successful concerns astir Turkey’s actions successful nan region, and nan inclusion of Turkey would group a vulnerable precedent successful nan EU’s defence strategies.

Turkey’s Request and NATO Support

Turkey formally requested to subordinate nan Safe programme successful September 2025. While 23 of nan EU’s 27 members are besides portion of NATO, nan confederation that Turkey is simply a portion of, nan petition to see Turkey has been met pinch important resistance. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has reportedly supported Turkey’s information successful nan programme, noting that person EU-Turkey engagement could heighten practice wrong NATO.

Despite this backing, Turkey’s request has sparked beardown guidance from some Cyprus and Greece, who position Turkey’s actions successful nan region arsenic incompatible pinch nan values and information interests of nan European Union. Cyprus has made it clear that its position will not alteration unless Turkey’s actions, peculiarly pinch respect to its territorial claims, are resolved.

Cyprus Secures Funding Through Safe Programme

As portion of nan Safe programme, Cyprus has successfully secured complete €1 billion successful backing for military hardware. The programme, which intends to heighten EU defense capabilities, allocates important resources for personnel states to modernize their subject infrastructures. Cyprus will beryllium utilizing this backing to bolster its ain security, peculiarly successful ray of ongoing tensions pinch Turkey. The participating countries, including Cyprus, are required to taxable their armament plans to nan EU by November 30, 2025, pinch spending expected to beryllium dispersed complete a five-year period.

In total, 19 EU personnel states, including Cyprus, are group to use from nan €150 billion allocated by nan European Commission for defense procurement. This backing will support nan EU’s extremity of strengthening its military capabilities and ensuring security crossed nan region. However, nan removal of Turkey from nan programme highlights nan EU’s analyzable narration pinch non-member states, peculiarly those pinch ongoing territorial disputes aliases conflicting interests.

The Safe Programme: Who Can Join?

The Safe programme is unfastened to EU personnel states, European Economic Area states specified arsenic Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, arsenic good arsenic a prime group of countries pinch defense agreements pinch nan EU. These see Ukraine, Albania, Japan, Moldova, North Macedonia, South Korea, and nan United Kingdom.

Turkey’s imaginable inclusion successful nan programme would require unanimous support from each EU personnel states, meaning that Cyprus and Greece’s guidance is simply a important obstruction to Turkey’s participation. If Turkey were to join, it would apt request to do truthful nether a model akin to that of nan United Kingdom, which is nary longer an EU personnel but retains a typical position successful definite EU defence arrangements.

Economic and Strategic Implications

The determination to exclude Turkey from nan Safe programme has some economic and strategic implications for nan EU. While Cyprus has secured important backing for subject upgrades, nan determination besides reflects nan EU’s committedness to maintaining security stability wrong its borders. The removal of Turkey, a NATO ally, demonstrates nan EU’s observant balancing enactment betwixt maintaining beardown ties pinch NATO countries and ensuring that its defense initiatives are aligned pinch its halfway values and information objectives.

The economical benefits of nan Safe programme for Cyprus are clear, arsenic nan backing will alteration nan state to modernize its subject capabilities and heighten its strategical position wrong nan EU. However, nan ongoing tensions pinch Turkey besides mean that Cyprus’ information successful nan programme remains highly sensitive, peculiarly successful nan discourse of nan EU-Turkey relationship.

Conclusion: Cyprus Holds Firm connected Turkey’s Exclusion

Cyprus has firmly maintained its guidance to Turkey’s participation successful nan EU Safe defence programme, a stance that has been formally accepted by nan EU. The removal of Turkey reflects nan broader geopolitical tensions successful nan region, peculiarly pinch respect to Turkey’s territorial disputes pinch Greece and Cyprus. The ongoing EU-Turkey divide complete security, territorial claims, and defense practice underscores nan complexities of EU diplomacy successful a quickly evolving geopolitical landscape.

As nan Safe programme moves forward, nan EU will proceed to navigate these analyzable dynamics, balancing nan interests of its personnel states pinch broader geopolitical realities. For now, Cyprus has successfully secured its position and funding, but nan statement complete Turkey’s inclusion successful nan programme remains a focal constituent of EU overseas policy and defense strategy.