Diverging point in foreign policies of Turkey and Russia: Cyprus
Diverging point in foreign policies of Turkey and Russia: Cyprus

Summary/Abstract: The media in Turkey debates the anomalies in Russian positions taken with similar issues and compares them with the position taken on Cyprus: Rejection of independence of Kosovo and at the same time recognizing the steps taken by Abhazia and Southern Ossetia. Therefore, Cyprus is definitely a diverging point in Turkish-Russian foreign policies. “When UK wanted to relinquish sovereignty over Cyprus, the formula found was to have an independent state. Since the inhabitants of the island are Turks and Greeks, the interests of Turkey and Greece were involved. Soviet Union came into the picture as a permanent member of the Security Council. During the Cold War when Greek Cypriot Archbishop Makarios could benefit from the non-aligned countries at the United Nations to pursue his plan for Enosis, this was resisted by Turkey, one of the Guarantor Powers for Cyprus. The rights of the Turkish Cypriots were also recognized by the Soviet Union who accepted the idea of a “Federation” in Cyprus. Later, when Greece instigated a coup in the Island and declared Enosis it was again Turkey who used the right in article 4 of the Treaty of Guarantee and prevented the annexation of the island to Greece.

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