The Greek Cypriot administration is seeking to buy additional arms and has formally requested surplus U.S. military equipment, local media reported Tuesday.
In an interview with Greek Plus Channel, Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides announced that they had formally requested surplus military equipment from the U.S.
“Under the plans that the U.S. has included us in, we already moved forward last week, requesting specific defense equipment that we are interested in purchasing from U.S. stocks,” he said.
Christodoulides added that they expect a positive response from Washington, considering the improving bilateral relations in recent years.
In recent years, the administration has distanced itself from ties with Moscow and worked hard to improve relations with the U.S. and Israel.
In 2019, the U.S. lifted an arms embargo on Greek Cyprus, a move heavily criticized by Türkiye.
Christodoulides’ announcement comes amid the administration’s efforts to promote itself as a “reliable Western partner” in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Plans by the Greek Cypriot administration to procure advanced air defense systems from Israel, including Iron Dome batteries, have also drawn criticism for potentially threatening Turkish Cypriot security.
In February, the Greek Cypriot administration handed over security responsibilities for Larnaca and Paphos airports to Israeli authorities. Turkish Cypriot officials viewed this as a further extension of Israeli influence on the island and an indication of the Greek Cypriot side’s increasing dependence on Israel for military and strategic purposes.
The TRNC has also raised concerns over Israeli expansion into strategic areas, including construction projects and marinas within the TRNC, which prompted the government to impose new property restrictions on foreigners in 2023. Turkish Cypriot authorities argued these developments threaten their sovereignty and access to natural resources.
