President Nicos Christodoulides proposed a compromise according to which Cyprus would join the NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in exchange for the resumption of peace talks in Cyprus and the gradual removal by Nicosia of obstacles to rapprochement between Ankara and the European Union.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, in an interview with Politico, the president said that he had discussed the proposal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

His proposal is aimed at reducing tensions between Cyprus and Turkey.

“We can imagine a step—by-step approach where Turkey’s steps to join Cyprus to the PfP will be accompanied by parallel positive steps in EU-Turkey relations, always combined with the resumption of negotiations to resolve the Cyprus problem within the agreed framework,” Christodoulides told Politico.

The president said that Cyprus’s accession to the transatlantic alliance is a “natural development,” but it did not happen due to “political circumstances.”

The PfP is a NATO program designed to bring non—ALLIANCE states closer to it. This is not membership in NATO, but a framework for close cooperation.

NATO members can veto a country’s application to join the alliance. Turkey is preventing Cyprus from joining.

Christodoulides also mentioned the military aspect of cooperation with the United States. He said that there is close coordination to ensure that the National Guard fully adapts to NATO standards.

The goal is for its weapons systems, structure, and operations to meet NATO criteria. Thus, when political conditions allow, Cyprus will be able to join the PfP or even move towards full NATO membership without lengthy technical adjustments.

Regarding the EU’s secure financial instrument, Christodoulides noted that it was Turkey that “excluded itself” from Safe because it had not reached a security agreement with the EU.

“There are specific conditions that must be met to participate in Safe, as well as in the EU accession process; this is not a menu,” he added.

Speaking about Cyprus’ upcoming presidency of the EU Council, Christodoulides said he was ready to invite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to an informal Council meeting to be held in Cyprus on April 23-24.

https://russiancyprus.news/news/society/christodoulides-proposes-tradeoff-with-turkey/