Cyprus: Türkiye’s strategic outpost in the Mediterranean

Nicosia, Levkosia, Lefkoşa, is not the Berlin of the Cold War, but the capital of a State that has been part of the European Union for two decades, divided by what has been described as “Europe’s last wall”. Since the summer of 1974 (failed reunification coup by the Greek Colonels dictatorial regime), Cyprus has been a divided country. To the south, the majority is ethnic Greek; to the north, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus a de facto entity, unrecognized by any power except Ankara. The formal existence of Northern Cyprus and the related Turkish Cypriot question remain among of the main open issues for nearly half a century. Amid the bipolar confrontation among superpowers, the issue emerged following the invasion of the small Mediterranean island by the Turkish army, which intervened to ensure compliance with a tripartite agreement signed with Greece and Great Britain following Cyprus’ independence, as well as to put an end to the tensions arising as a consequence of the Colonel’s seizure of power in Athens. More than 50 years after, the issue is once again taking centre stage in international affairs, remaining a thorn in the side of the European integration project.