Greek Cypriots are running the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus, a European Union member, while UN peacekeeping forces still patrol the so-called “Green Line” – a 180km (112 miles) buffer zone between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday the State Department for the first time had included Cyprus in its International Military Education and Training funding programme for 2020 as part of “our expanding security relationship”.
“This is part of our efforts to enhance relationships with key regional partners to promote stability in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Pompeo told reporters.
The announcement drew criticism by Turkey and the Initiatives that do not observe balance between parties will not contribute to establishing a secure environment on the Island, nor will they help keep peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean,” foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement.
“As we have stressed many times before, these steps will not contribute to finding a solution to the Cyprus issue but instead strengthens the uncompromising approach of the Greek side,” he added.
While the island has remained largely peaceful in recent decades, and Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders have worked to build ties, numerous attempts at reunification have failed.
Meanwhile, tensions have recently flared over Turkey’s drilling for gas off the island, with the EU calling the move illegal.
US officials, at the same time, have encouraged the warming relations with Israel of both Cyprus and Greece