South Has No Right to Let France Use its Naval Base

The Greek Cypriots have no unilateral right to permit the French the use of their naval base in the South, Turkish former ambassador to Germany Onur Oymen, has said. Turkey should not remain a spectator to France’s attempts to establish a base in Cyprus and the French demand lacks a legal and political basis, he said.

North Cyprus News - Greek Cypriot Naval Vessel

Turkey has a say in Cyprus”, he said, arguing that both politically and legally, “it is a mistake to build strategic structures on the island without the approval of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots and without the solution of the Cyprus problem”. This would constitute a violation of the agreements (for the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus). “In such a situation, even the talks between the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots become meaningless”, he declared.

An opinion piece in Greek Cypriot daily ‘Cyprus Mail’, last month argued that the agreement signed earlier this month between South Cyprus and France, with an eye on Syria, was most likely an attempt to maintain strengthen EU naval presence in the Eastern Mediterranean because of the uncertainty of the status of British Military bases on the island post-Brexit.

Halkin Sesi, Cyprus Mail

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