NICOSIA – Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides likes the idea of his country getting a new European Commissioner for the Mediterranean that’s being created, arguing the island is in a perfect spot to deal with issues over the sea and shipping.

He told POLITICO in an interview that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plan to create the position aligns with what Cyprus has to offer and its geopolitical position, although the northern third has been occupied since unlawful Turkish invasions in 1974.

He said the separate portfolio was set up after his government’s recommendations. “It is after our own urgings that the President felt the need to have a commissioner to deal exclusively with this,” he said.

He added: “We will have to see in practice what the Mediterranean portfolio means, what are the powers, what are the responsibilities, what is the scope of engagement,” he noted, although looking at other positions for Cyprus.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis earlier told the news site that the Mediterranean is a key issue for the European Union but didn’t say if he would lobby Von der Leyen – a political ally – for Greece to get it.

Christodoulides said that Cyprus should get a key assignment. “We are no longer a new member state, we have 20 years of experience, we have held a presidency and in the first half of 2026 we will hold the second presidency of the Council of the EU. We now want a portfolio where we believe that the representative of the Republic of Cyprus will have added value,” he said.

That comes as the 50th anniversary of the invasions that split the island were marked, with the legitimate Greek-Cypriot government a member of the European Union that Turkey has fruitlessly been trying to join since 2005.

The prospects of getting into the bloc have worsened under the autocratic rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkey refusing to recognize the Greek-Cypriot government and barring its ships and planes.

Erdogan and Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar have rejected any idea of reunification and instead demanded that the United Nations and world recognize the self-declared republic on the island that’s been isolated for half a century.

Christodoulides repeated his call for the EU to be involved in trying to settle the dilemma but that had been rejected by Erdogan and Tatar who said the bloc favors the Greek-Cypriot government.

“Where there is still disagreement with Turkey, the answer lies in the EU. EU involvement will result in a solution that benefits both the EU and Turkey,” said Christodoulides, no sign that Erdogan and Tatar were listening.