Turkey deems 'unacceptable' any Greek Cyprus NATO membership attempt
The Turkish statement came as the president of Cyprus suggested that his country could eventually become a NATO member.
ANKARA — Any efforts by the Republic of Cyprus to join NATO are unacceptable to Turkey, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
The statement follows Greek media reports that Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and US President Joe Biden discussed the European Union country’s possible membership in the transatlantic alliance.
“Currently, the Greek Cypriot Administration does not have a membership application to NATO, but even their attempt is an unacceptable development from Turkey's perspective,” a high-level Turkish Defense Ministry official told reporters. “This effort will disrupt the delicate balance in the Cyprus issue.”
Amid speculations over Cyprus’ intentions regarding NATO, Christodoulides acknowledged his country can't join the bloc due to Turkey’s objections, The Associated Press reported earlier Thursday.
