Fidan: Turkey Does Not Recognise Greek Cypriot Side

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Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has reiterated Ankara’s rejection of the Republic of Cyprus as representing the entire island, insisting that the rights of Turkish Cypriots must be respected.

Fidan made the remarks during an interview with Anadolu Agency’s Editor’s Desk programme on Saturday, saying Turkey does not recognise what he called the “Greek Cypriot side” as a state.

“We do not recognize the Greek Cypriot side as a state. If you do not recognize the rights of Turkish Cypriots, then I do not recognize your statehood,” Fidan said.

“You are not the state established in 1960,” he added.

Fidan also said peace and stability on the island depend on the presence of Turkish troops.

His comments come as Turkey continues to promote its position on the Cyprus issue, which remains one of the most contentious disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Fidan also called for continued international political isolation of Israel, saying this is what Israel fears most.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan establish defense pact

Turning to regional security, Fidan described the newly signed Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as the “most important step” toward lasting stability in the region.

He said the agreement is technically similar to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty on collective defense.

“There is no common threat that we have put in writing,” Fidan said, stressing that the agreement does not target any country that does not attack one of its signatories.

He also emphasized that Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are not expansionist countries.

“Under our president’s vision, we should not remain limited to three countries. We should grow and, if necessary, bring all countries under this umbrella,” Fidan said.

Fidan described the agreement as a “historic day” and said it represented one of the milestones Turkey had pursued for years under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership.

Fidan calls for greater regional ownership

Fidan said greater regional ownership of security issues sits at the centre of Turkey’s approach.

“External hegemons coming into the region do not solve the problems; they make them more acute, and the cost becomes very high,” he said.

He argued that countries in the region should develop stronger institutional mechanisms to manage their own security, economic stability, development and prosperity.

Fidan said Turkey maintains strong relations with almost all countries in the region, but noted that political circumstances and perceptions have largely shaped those relationships and could change them at any time.

Ankara now wants to establish more permanent and structured regional ties to promote stability, he said, stressing that lasting economic integration requires security and mutual trust.

Fidan cited the European Union as an example, saying the European Economic Community developed within the security environment provided by the American security umbrella.

Turkey’s regional vision similarly seeks to reduce instability and eventually encourage greater economic and social integration, he said.

Fidan acknowledged that the initiative remains at an early stage and will not be easy to establish, but said Turkey has completed the necessary conceptual and institutional preparations.

Preparations for the Mecca agreement had continued for nearly two years and eight months, involving talks with the signatories and other regional countries.

Agreement compared with NATO Article 5

Fidan said the agreement creates obligations for its signatories and drew on Turkey’s experience as a NATO member since 1952.

He said the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is technically similar to NATO’s Article 5, allowing members to receive protective support from one another.

Fidan described NATO’s core deterrence as defensive, based on the principle that an attack on one member would bring the military power of the wider alliance into play.

He said this deterrence helps prevent conflict and gives countries the space to address political and economic problems.

Under the Mecca agreement, a country would need to request assistance and specify the type of support it requires.

That support could range from intelligence and logistics to ammunition or, if necessary, military units, depending on the scale of the threat.

The alliance will establish a political and military committee comprising foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of general staff, broadly following NATO structures.

A secretariat will also implement the committee’s decisions.

Defence industry cooperation among key priorities

Fidan said defense industry cooperation and the sharing of military technologies ranked among the main issues discussed by the leaders.

“The issue discussed most among the leaders yesterday was cooperation in the defense industry and countries benefiting from each other’s technologies,” he said.

The alliance will also cover interoperability, joint training, mutual support, logistics, threat assessments and intelligence sharing.

Fidan described the initiative as a serious institutional undertaking that requires continuity.

“Countries will not find themselves in a situation where, when they are under pressure, they ask, ‘What were we going to do together?’” he said.

He stressed the importance of institutionalising foreign policy and security cooperation rather than relying on circumstances or chance.

“We should not leave success in foreign policy or any other area to chance. We need to institutionalize it and make it continuous,” Fidan said.

Fidan identified Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as the initiative’s “core countries.”

Fidan addresses Russia-Ukraine war

On the Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan said a prolonged war of attrition extending beyond the battlefield can become a matter of national survival.

“When the war of attrition turns into attrition beyond the front lines, the issue becomes whether a nation will continue to exist. You use whatever means you have at your disposal,” he said.

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