EU countries shield Cyprus amid renewed Greece-Turkey tensions

European governments are rallying behind Cyprus as the widening war with Iran spills into the eastern Mediterranean, with capitals increasingly worried that Turkey could exploit the turmoil to press its own claims on the divided island.

EU countries are joining forces to provide military support to Cyprus, which remains on high alert against potential attacks from Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, Greece’s mobilisation has raised eyebrows in Ankara.

Numerous EU countries, including France, Italy, Greece and the Netherlands have mobilised in response to potential attacks on Cyprus, whose location makes it vulnerable to disturbances in the Middle East.

“We intend to deploy a multi-domain force in the Middle East, equipped with anti-drone and anti-missile air-defence systems,” Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told the Italian parliament on Thursday. Spain’s Ministry of Defence also announced the deployment of a frigate to accompany the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and Greek warships.

The Dutch will also join European forces sending the Evertsen frigate, one of four Dutch air-defense and command frigates, which are highly capable of intercepting missiles and drones, according to the Dutch news outlet NRC.

This renewed European support for Cyprus comes amid growing threats from Tehran against Europe.

“EU countries will pay the price, sooner or later, if they remain silent in the face of the US–Israel attack,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei warned on Thursday.

Ankara reacts  

Meanwhile, Turkey, which has refused US access to its military bases for strikes against Iran, has reacted with alarm to Greece’s military mobilisation in southeastern Europe.

Greece and Turkey, two NATO members, have been facing long-standing disputes over maritime borders. The northeast of Cyprus has been occupied by Turkey since 1974, and only Ankara recognises the so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”

Athens deployed Patriot missiles on Karpathos, an island near the Turkish coast and off the coast of Crete, which hosts a critical US military base. In addition, Greece has sent four F‑16 fighter jets and two frigates to Cyprus.

Ankara claims that by sending modern weapons to islands near its territory, Athens violated international treaties. Turkish officials warned they would not tolerate a “fait accompli.”

Greece responded that Turkey’s interpretation is legally incorrect and emphasised its sovereign right to defend its territory against Iran’s threats.

Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey

The situation became more tense, however, after Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said in an interview on Wednesday that there was “no reason” to coordinate with Turkey on Greece’s military mobilisation, stressing that Ankara understands the need to defend its territory.

Dendias added that the deployment to Cyprus aims to protect the island’s “entire legal population,” including Turkish Cypriots.

Asked how Greece would respond if Turkey sent military reinforcements to protect the Turkish Cypriot community, Dendias replied by tying the Turkish leadership to Iran-aligned groups.

“If I am not mistaken, Hezbollah is closely linked to the Turkish leadership, and the Muslim Brotherhood – a sister organisation of Hezbollah – operates freely within Turkey. So, protect them from whom?” Dendias asked.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Turkish Cypriots, “with the support of the Motherland,” are “capable of ensuring their own security and do not depend on anyone else.”

Meanwhile, the Iranian armed forces issued a statement on Thursday denying that they had fired a ballistic missile against the Incirlik military base in Turkey.

“Iran respects Turkey’s territorial integrity; it is a friend and a neighbor,” the statement reads.

Turkey’s concerns about Kurdish groups

NATO member Turkey’s ambiguous role in the current conflict in the Middle East was highlighted by the fact that Ankara appears alarmed by reports that Washington is in discussions with Kurdish groups about joining operations against Iran. Those could include potential cross-border missions from Iraqi Kurdistan into Iran, as well as supporting rebellion within Tehran.

Turkey’s priority is to prevent a flow of refugees from the war-torn region across its eastern border and to block any scenario in which Iranian Kurds are empowered through US and Israeli support, commented George Tzogopoulos, senior fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP).

Brussels sees Turkey as a key partner in the region, as it hosts around four million refugees and migrants.

The analyst said that the experience with Syria – where Turkey created a buffer zone to separate Kurdish groups from its border – suggests Ankara could do the same to safeguard its interests. But this depends on the course of the conflict in Iran.

“If chaos prevails, such a scenario is possible. If the Iranian government remains in power, it is less likely that Turkey would risk violating Iranian sovereignty,” he said. “US–Turkish consultations probably focus on these scenarios, and I would expect relatively close coordination between [US] President Trump and [Turkey’s] President Erdoğan.”

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