Turkey slams Cyprus-US defense cooperation roadmap

PHOTO CAPTION: Cypriot Army Special Forces soldiers move through a house during a simulated raid with members of U.S. Naval Special Warfare Task Unit Europe (NSWTU-E) in Cyprus, September 28, 2021. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Patrik Orcutt via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey said it condemned this week's signing of a roadmap to boost two-way defence co-operation between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus.

The move came amid United Nations efforts to find common ground for the resumption of long-stalled negotiations between the rival Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the Mediterranean island, which has been divided for decades.

The U.S. steps, including last June's announcement of the launch of a strategic dialogue with Cyprus, are detrimental to the security of the Turkish Cypriot side of the island, the Turkish foreign ministry said.

"These steps ... undermine the neutral USA position towards the island of Cyprus and make it more difficult to reach a just, lasting and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus issue," it said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Monday, the United States and the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus signed the co-operation roadmap in Nicosia.

In a joint statement, their defence ministries reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate to tackle international security concerns via the roadmap.

Cyprus was partitioned in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup. Peace talks have been on hold since 2017.

The Turkish Cypriot side administers a breakaway state in the north of Cyprus recognised only by Ankara. It says a resumption of talks hinges on acceptance of its equal sovereignty with the Greek Cypriot government.



(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)