Cyprus, Greece and Israel ‘do not have good relations with Turkey’

Cyprus, Greece and Israel share a common trait beyond their defence cooperation, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Friday, that being “they do not have good relations with Turkey.”

Speaking after the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between his ministry and the commerce chamber (Keve), Palmas remarked that “it is known why Cyprus does not have good relations with Turkey”.

In reference to the growing rivalry between Turkey and Israel in the Levant, he said “it is a given that they are tightening the noose daily”.

Palmas said the three countries operate the same weapons defence system, giving them “interoperability” that he described as “a good development for the geopolitical security of the wider region.”

Asked whether Cyprus could join the bilateral Achilles Shield defence agreement between Greece and Israel, he said the deal remained strictly bilateral between the two countries.

He described Cyprus as “a democratic, peaceful country that is never involved in any incident involving armed conflicts,” whilst stressing the island’s exposure to threats.

“We are a country under occupation, and we must ensure to the greatest possible extent a deterrent”, he said.

Palmas said Cyprus occupied a distinct position in the region, and that “while some countries in the region are in rivalry with each other, Cyprus has the ability to be a dialogue partner with all of these countries, with the exception of Turkey”.

He also confirmed that the military parade marking Independence Day on 1 October would be “upgraded and different from previous ones,” and encouraged the public to attend.

Cyprus’ Israeli made Barak MX air defence system is expected to be presented publicly for the first time at the parade, alongside a contingent from Greece led by Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and Egyptian armed forces personnel.

Ahead of the parade, Palmas is due to travel to Cairo for a trilateral meeting with his Greek and Egyptian counterparts.

Palmas also addressed continued violations of the Nicosia flight information region (FIR) by Turkish aircraft, along with reports of harassment involving Greek fighter jets and passenger planes.

“We are doing what we need to do, and beyond that, we don’t want to get to the point where a situation will lead us down dangerous paths,” he said.

He said the American renewal of the lifting of the arms embargo for a further year would allow existing agreements to progress, including the modernisation of the Andreas Papandreou air base in Paphos and the acquisition of some 40 Hummer military vehicles.