The time has come for the country to stop viewing itself solely as a victim, so that it can more clearly discern its actual impact on the region and its own responsibilities as an actor
It is evident that, in recent years, the Republic of Cyprus has significantly enhanced its role and influence in the Eastern Mediterranean. This enhancement was the result of strategic planning and targeted actions aimed at strengthening the Republic of Cyprus’s defense capabilities and, more broadly, maximizing its overall power.
Specifically, it has entered into a trilateral-quadrilateral military cooperation agreement (Cyprus-Israel-Greece + the U.S.) with the aim of counterbalancing the Turkish military’s superiority in Cyprus.. The cooperation, of course, also has an energy component, such as the Great Sea Interconnector, which is expected to maximize the Republic of Cyprus’s total power capacity.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The Republic of Cyprus has also undertaken “humanitarian” initiatives, whose stated mission serves as a smokescreen—a means to achieve the real goal: to elevate its regional role. The “Amalthia” Plan is precisely that. The President of the Republic himself admitted as much in an interview with the newspaper “Alithia” (November 18, 2023), stating that “it doesn’t matter when aid is sent, but rather what role Cyprus plays.” The primary purpose of “Amalthea” is not to support Palestinian civilians, but to strengthen the Republic of Cyprus.
Most of these actions, therefore, have the country’s power as their common denominator, with the balance of power between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey as the pivotal point. The criterion on which these actions are based and/or justified is the need to counterbalance Turkish power.
As an amateur political analyst, I am not in a position to scientifically assess the outcome of these actions. However, as I follow geopolitical developments, it seems to me that all these actions are indeed having an impact. These developments seem to confirm that the Republic of Cyprus’s actions are indeed affecting the balance of power, not only between the country and Turkey but also more broadly in our region. The Republic of Cyprus is finally pulling some strings!
There is, however, a paradox in the way the Republic of Cyprus assesses the geopolitical consequences of its actions—in what it takes into account when drawing its conclusions. On the one hand, it believes that its actions have indeed maximized its defense capabilities and enhanced its regional role and influence. On the other hand, it believes that its actions produce only positive results: (1) they reduce the power imbalance between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, bringing about greater balance and security for the Republic of Cyprus, (2) the enhancement of its regional role serves as a pillar of stability, and (3) it does not affect other regional conflicts, as it is neutral—the conflicts in the Middle East stem from a balance of power that is not influenced by the actions of the Republic of Cyprus.
Fairy tales. This is a delusion, a contradictory self-perception that considers the country’s actions to be both influential and non-influential at the same time. How can the Republic of Cyprus, on the one hand, conduct joint exercises with the Israeli army that simulate an invasion of Lebanon, and on the other hand, present itself as neutral? Why would Iran warn the country that it is a potential target? Absurd? The behavior of all states is determined, realistically, by the balance of power—except for Iran’s behavior, which has no grasp of realism and fails to understand that the Republic of Cyprus is neutral and that its actions have no impact on the balance of power in the wider region, beyond that between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey?
I’ll conclude with a suggestion and a few questions. Has the time come for the country to stop viewing itself solely as a victim, so that it can more clearly discern its actual impact on the region and its own responsibilities as an actor?
The day before yesterday, Israel bombed a base with Turkish soldiers in Syria, pushing tensions to the brink. Some say the region is on the brink of a new war between Israel and Turkey. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know. In any case, it’s not certain that such a war would be beneficial for the Republic of Cyprus. It could even be disastrous. Who knows?
What I do know is that the country considers a conflict between Israel and Turkey to be a separate issue, one that is not influenced by the Republic of Cyprus’s behavior. That cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and Israel does not alter the balance of power between Israel and Turkey and does not contribute to further destabilization.
Is it time for the Republic of Cyprus to put itself in the equation? Christos
Hatzioannou
Ph.D. in Philosophy
