Nine months into the war in Gaza and Israel’s continuing attacks on the strip, the fear and chance of the conflict spreading into the region is still high. The divided island of Cyprus, in the meanwhile, has found itself as one of the central points of possible escalation.
Two weeks ago, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during a televised interview, reiterated his warnings that the war risks spreading into the region. “We have been underlining this from the beginning and now, especially Lebanon coming to the agenda and actors from Lebanon threatening the Greek Cypriot side, are now harbingers of this.”
Fidan was referring to the head of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, threatening the Greek Cypriot administration in June and accusing it of allowing Israel to use its airports and bases for military exercises.
The Greek Cypriot administration is not known to offer any land or base facilities to the Israeli military but has in the past allowed Israel to use its vast airspace – its flight information region – to occasionally conduct air drills, but never during the conflict.
Sovereign British military bases on the island have been used by Britain for operations in Syria in the past and, more recently, Yemen. The Greek Cypriot administration government has no say in the matter. There are two British bases on the island of Cyprus.
A Turkish official familiar with the issue said that the interconnection between the island of Cyprus and the Gaza war is currently one of the main agendas of Turkish diplomacy these days. “The developments and movements on the island, especially those of the U.K. and U.S., are monitored closely,” the source said.
He explained that Ankara has been warning these actors not to incorporate the island of Cyprus for their operations in favor of Israel. Accordingly, Türkiye’s strategy is currently “prevention.”
Türkiye, therefore, is currently conducting diplomacy to reduce the military activity of these Western actors on the island and stepping up its voice. Intelligence reports have verified these activities. Ankara is well aware that continued pro-Israeli activity has the potential to draw the ire of third actors and endanger the Eastern Mediterranean. This would go against Ankara’s national interests and leave Türkiye with another boiling point and conflict to deal with in its neighborhood.
“The fact that this place and the Greek islands are used for operations toward the Middle East will not benefit either Greek Cyprus or Greece. Because when you get involved in the ongoing wars in the Middle East, when you take sides, this fire will come and find you. We are also in the same geography; it will come and find us, too,” Fidan pointed out.
It is well known that Türkiye is a vital player in its region, basing its foreign affairs on delicate balances and acting as a mediator and facilitator for resolutions of conflict. Thus, it has, especially in recent years, engaged in several mediating activities as well as regional interconnection projects to enhance interdependency, welfare and peace. Similarly, it has engaged in diplomatic efforts, visiting several capitals and raising its voice on international platforms to end the war in Gaza. However, the West’s stance and support for Israel have obstructed the process to an extent. Türkiye’s next challenge will be to hinder the island of Cyprus from further being transformed into an operation center where military activities are disguised as aid efforts. With the Greek Cypriot administration being a member of the European Union, responsibility also lies within the bloc. The EU and Athens should step up their rhetoric against the island being used as a logistical base for military purposes and risk being drawn into the war. A broader regional conflagration will benefit no one as it will significantly extend the duration of the war and the human suffering.