Cyprus has renewed preparations for possible NATO membership after drone attacks linked to the Iran war heightened security fears on the island, but any bid would face a Turkish veto because the alliance admits new members only by unanimous consent.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said in an interview broadcast Thursday that his country would apply to join NATO “tomorrow” if it could, but added that current political conditions, especially Turkey’s position, made that impossible for now. He said preparations were under way at the military, operational and administrative levels.
Turkey’s government often refers to the Republic of Cyprus as the “Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus,” a term not used by other governments since they view the Republic of Cyprus as the island’s sole internationally recognized government.
The island has been divided since 1974, when Turkey sent troops after a coup backed by Greece’s military junta. A United Nations-backed buffer zone separates the Turkish Cypriot north from the Greek Cypriot south.
The renewed push came days after a drone strike on the British air base at Akrotiri in Cyprus, an incident that fed concern on the island about being drawn deeper into the regional conflict. Reuters reported that the strike also revived debate inside Cyprus about the British military presence there.
Turkey has already made clear it opposes any such move. In a November 2024 statement carried by Turkish and Cypriot media, Turkish Defense Ministry sources said even efforts by the Greek Cypriot administration to seek NATO membership were “unacceptable” to Turkey and would upset the balance in the Cyprus dispute and harm settlement talks.
That stance matters because NATO says an invitation to join is granted only by unanimous consent among existing allies. Turkey, a NATO member, does not recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as representing the whole island and is the only country to recognize the breakaway north.
Cyprus has signaled interest in joining the alliance before. In November 2024 Christodoulides said the country could seek NATO membership once conditions allowed and after its armed forces moved closer to alliance standards with US support.
The latest debate has unfolded as European countries moved to reinforce Cyprus after the Akrotiri attack. British officials discussed air defense support with Cyprus and announced plans to send Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities and the warship HMS Dragon, though British media later reported delays in the ship’s deployment.
For Ankara, a Cypriot NATO bid would open another dispute at a time when the Iran war has already pushed Turkey and other countries in the region to raise military alert levels and review their security posture. That makes Cyprus’s new push less a near-term accession plan than a political signal aimed at its partners, with Turkey still holding the decisive vote.