WHAT EAM JAISHANKAR SAID
Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday expressed his support for Cyprus in its conflict with Turkey over the status of the island nation. Speaking alongside his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides during a press briefing in Nicosia, Jaishankar reiterated India’s “commitment for a bicommunal, bizonal federation based on UN resolutions as the solution to the Cyprus issue.”
Important agreements signed in defence and migration/mobility. Welcome Cyprus’ joining the International Solar Alliance.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 29, 2022
Watch our statements to the Press:https://t.co/nEZb04aOhw
A BRIEF PRIMER ON THE TURKEY-CYPRUS DISPUTE
Turkey launched a military operation against the Cypriot government in 1974 and has occupied the northern part since then. Currently, Cyprus is divided into the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus in the south and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognised by Turkey.
Cyprus supports a “decentralised federation,” whereby the two southern and northern regions unite under a single republic but have autonomy over their internal matters. The solution is in line with previous UN resolutions on the topic.
The TRNC and Turkey, on the other hand, have proposed a two-state solution that creates two independent states living side-by-side.
Cyprus has warned that such a proposal would divide the island on ethnic and religious lines. Kasoulides said on Thursday that a two-state solution is unacceptable. Pointing to the partition of India in 1947, he noted that the division created a “political obstacle,” referring to the India-Pakistan conflict.
None of these plans have materialised.
INDIA’S CHANGING STANCE
India has traditionally maintained a neutral stance on the issue. However, lately, India has abandoned its position to support Cyprus, mainly due to Turkey backing Pakistan over the Kashmir issue.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2019 criticised India for revoking the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir and its subsequent clampdown of the region. Last year, he raised the issue of Kashmir at the UN General Assembly in New York and called on India to adhere to UN resolutions on the issue.
India retaliated by supporting Cyprus’s opposition to Turkey’s decision to reopen the disputed ghost town of Varosha in the UN in July 2021.
THE INDIA-CYPRUS DEFENCE DEAL
EAM Jaishankar announced three major agreements:
- An MoU on defence and military cooperation.
- A Letter of Intent on migration and mobility partnership to “facilitate the mobility of students, academics, business people, and professionals” and “combat irregular migration.”
- An agreement on the International Solar Alliance, an India-led body established in 2015 to oversee the global transition to solar energy.
UP NEXT: Jaishankar will travel to Austria on 1 January, making him the first Indian EAM to visit the country in 27 years.