Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides stated yesterday that Turkey is “outside regional cooperation frameworks due to its own responsibility,” following the 10th trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel held in Jerusalem.
Christodoulides emphasized that Nicosia approaches all neighboring states with a positive agenda focused on security and cooperation, rejecting claims that the summit was “anti-Turkish.”
The President described the meeting as “successful” and noted that the fact it marked the 10th consecutive summit highlights the resilience of the trilateral mechanism amid regional tensions. Christodoulides underscored three key areas of reinforced collaboration: energy, defense and security, and civil protection, stressing that the immediate priority is the implementation of agreements reached during the summit.
Addressing questions regarding Turkish media reports framing the trilateral as anti-Turkish, Christodoulides insisted that Cyprus maintains a constructive approach. He explained that Turkey’s exclusion from regional cooperation stems from its disregard for good-neighborly relations and attempts to impose hierarchies in the region. “Hopefully, conditions will soon evolve, including through progress on the Cyprus issue, allowing Turkey to participate,” he added.
Christodoulides also addressed claims concerning a proposed Center of Excellence in cybersecurity. Turkish outlets had reportedly presented it as an “Israeli military base” in Cyprus. The President clarified that the initiative is strictly focused on regional cybersecurity, aimed at tackling real digital threats, and not intended to fuel geopolitical narratives.
