ANKARA – The signing of a defense cooperation deal between the United States and Cyprus has drawn fire from Turkey which said it undermines any hope of finding a resolution to the island being divided since unlawful 1974 Turkish invasions.

The agreement came just ahead of the United Nations General Assembly annual opening and stalled attempts to get Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar to the negotiating table with the legitimate Greek-Cypriot government.

Reuters said that the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the move also jeopardizes the security of Turkish-Cypriots on the occupied northern side, who make up about 20 percent of the population, Tatar rejecting reunification.

“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,” Turkey’s ministry said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/turkey-condemns-cyprus-us-defence-co-operation-roadmap-2024-09-12/

Tatar wants the UN and world to recognize the occupied side, where Turkey keeps 35,000 troops, the calls being ignored, but now perpetuating a stalemate, seven years after the last round of talks collapsed at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana.

He has gotten nowhere with his demands and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has sent yet another Special Envoy, Colombian diplomat María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, who, like all the others before her, hasn’t made any progress either.