‘No issue’ with potential Turkish IMO nomination, president assures

There will be no issue for the Republic if Turkey is nominated as Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), President Nikos Christodoulides said on Monday.

Although the Republic of Cyprus cannot support the Turkish bid for the position, as Turkey does not allow ships under the Cyprus flag to dock in Turkish ports, the IMO SG exercises his or her duties based on the organisation’s convention, Christodoulides said.

The president’s statements came in response to a question on whether the support of Greece for the Turkish membership, posed a threat to Cyprus as Ankara does not recognise the Republic as a state.

Christodoulides offered assurances that the Republic is an IMO member elected to a high-ranking post by the organisation’s plenary and there will be no fallout should Turkey gain the GS position in elections to be held in June. He noted candidacies can be submitted until Friday.

Christodoulides elaborated adding that Greece and Turkey have engaged in mutual support, the former supporting the latter’s IMO membership, while Turkey supports Greece’s candidacy for a United Nations security council seat as an elected member for 2025-2026.

“I understand that this was agreed when the Greek Foreign Minister Dendias travelled to Turkey after the earthquakes,” President Christodoulides added and stated his government will make the most of a possible strengthening of the two countries’ relations.

Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis in a statement earlier in the week, said the improvement of the Greco-Turkish relations is a positive development for peace and security in the region, within the framework of the international law, but also for the efforts to resume Cyprus negotiations.