US officials say partial lift of Cyprus arms embargo not related to Turkish-Greek tensions
Amid ongoing Turkey-Greece tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, US officials maintained the partial lifting of an arms embargo on Cyprus aims to reduce Russian influence and is not a step against Ankara’s recent maneuvers in the region.
ISTANBUL — As the Turkey-Greece row on overlapping territorial claims in the eastern Mediterranean continues, regional tensions were further aggravated when the United States announced the partial lifting of an arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus Tuesday.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Washington would deepen security cooperation with Cyprus in a tweet Tuesday, stating the United States would waive restrictions on non-lethal weapon sales to the nation for the coming year.
The announcement comes at a volatile time for the region, where Turkish and Greek navy vessels have been shadowing one another as Ankara continues its gas exploration activities through Sept. 12 in disputed waters between the two nations.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the move in a statement Tuesday, saying the move “poisons” peace and stability in the eastern Mediterranean, and that Ankara would take unilateral actions if the United States did not reconsider the decision. Meanwhile, the Greek Foreign Ministry welcomed the announcement.
