Is Cyprus a NATO ally?
Aspiring members Cyprus is the only European Union member state that is neither a NATO member state nor a member of the PfP program. However, four NATO member states, Greece, Romania, Spain and Slovakia, do not recognize Kosovo’s independence and have threatened to block their participation in the program.
Who started the Cyprus war?
The 1974 Cypriot coup d’état, initiated by the Greek military junta, was followed five days later by Turkey’s invasion, leading to the occupation of the northern part of the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus.
Is Cyprus EU member?
Cyprus is a presidential republic. The president is both head of state and government. Despite joining the EU as a de facto divided island, the whole of Cyprus is EU territory. Cyprus has two official languages: Greek and Turkish; only Greek is an official EU language.
Why is there a deadlock between NATO and Cyprus?
As The New York Times recently pointed out, “Even more worrying for both sides is the lack of any security arrangements that would, for example, allow NATO forces to rescue EU police trainers in Afghanistan if they came under attack.” Once again, the reason for the deadlock is Cyprus.
Does Turkey have the upper hand in the Cyprus conflict?
Just as Cyprus has the upper hand in the EU, where Turkey is not a member, Turkey has the upper hand in NATO, where Cyprus is neither a member of the alliance nor of NATO’s Partnership for Peace, a program of bilateral and security cooperation between individual countries and NATO.
What is Cypriot’s veto power over Turkey-EU negotiations?
Cyprus has become the main reason why most of the chapters dealing with foreign policy in Turkey-EU negotiations are blocked. The Republic of Cyprus became a member of the EU in 2005 and it now enjoys veto power over Brussels’ accession talks with Ankara.
Why does Cyprus matter?
The second reason Cyprus greatly matters is because of the NATO-EU divide. NATO-EU cooperation is urgent and crucial in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Somali coast and Afghanistan.