US to Remove Arms Embargo on Southern Cyprus

Click to read the article in Turkish

The embargo was in effect since 1987 to "prevent the accumulation of arms that would hamper diplomatic efforts to unite the island again".

The amendment offered by Congressperson David Cicilline for the fiscal year 2020 was adopted by a vote of 252 to 173, the Defence Point reported.

Cicilline said before the vote that the "outdated" embargo does not reflect the strength and importance of the relation with Southern Cyprus, which he described as a "key ally in the fight against terrorism and emerging threats in Europe."

The amendment includes a 2 million US dollars worth of military training aid to Southern Cyprus.

The amendment was prepared by Senator Bob Menendez by the Democratic Party, who also presented the bill to the Senate that would cancel the delivery of the F-35 fighter planes to Turkey. He visited Nicosia for a meeting with President Nikos Anastasiadis in April, where he announced support for Southern Cyprus.

According to the amendment, Southern Cyprus will not let Russia's warships to use its ports if it buys arms from the US. Tensions rose between the US and Southern Cyprus in 1997 when the latter bought S-300 air defense systems from Russia. Turkey also opposed Southern Cyprus's possession of the systems. The crisis was later solved after the systems were deployed in Greece's Crete island.

Relations between Turkey and its western allies have been stranded recently over natural gas exploration activities on the Eastern Mediterranean. (EKN/VK)