A “warm welcome” was allegedly given to Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias and his counterparts from France and the Netherlands by the armed forces of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Last night, an incident occurred involving radio interference from the illegal airport of the breakaway state in Tymbou (Ercan).

As part of what was described as a provocative display, two Turkish F-16 fighter jets took off from the same airport and monitored from a distance the government aircraft carrying the Greek defense minister and other European officials to Cyprus. They were arriving for discussions taking place today that are considered particularly important for the island’s defense and security framework.

SOFA agreement to be signed today

Specifically, France and Cyprus will today co-sign an agreement concerning the French military presence on the island—the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)—as had been reported months ago. According to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, the agreement “will provide for the presence of French forces on Cypriot territory strictly for humanitarian purposes.”

The agreement is expected to be signed in Nicosia by French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin and Cypriot Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas. The aircraft carrying the French minister reportedly experienced the same interference as the aircraft transporting Nikos Dendias.

Although the wave of harassment directed at the defense ministers of Greece, France, and the Netherlands has not officially been linked to today’s signing ceremony, sources familiar with the events recalled that the Turkish Cypriot administration reacted negatively when the agreement was announced.

According to Politico, the Turkish Cypriot administration declared the agreement invalid immediately after its announcement and expressed concerns that it could alter the balance of power on the island, disregard the rights of Turkish Cypriots, and create tensions. It also argued that the Republic of Cyprus lacks the authority to sign such an agreement on behalf of the entire island.

Against the backdrop of Akrotiri

It is worth noting that the agreement between France and Cyprus was the result of a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the island together with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, following attacks by Iran against the British base at Akrotiri and at a time when Greece was the first country to provide defensive assistance to Cyprus.

Under the agreement, the terms under which French forces may be stationed, trained, and operate in Cyprus will be established while respecting Cypriot sovereignty. The agreement will also cover military coordination and interoperability, defense technology and industrial cooperation, joint military exercises and training activities, personnel exchanges, and administrative arrangements for forces operating on each other’s territory.

Alongside the signing of the Franco-Cypriot agreement, the Greek Ministry of Defense had already publicized Dendias’s visit to Cyprus for the Informal Meeting of EU Defense Ministers in Nicosia. The agenda includes existing and emerging security challenges, recent developments regarding Ukraine, and issues related to maritime security and freedom of navigation.

A working lunch was also scheduled during the informal meeting, where defense ministers would exchange views on the defense dimensions of the forthcoming Security Strategy, focusing on improving EU defense readiness, strengthening the European pillar of NATO, enhancing decision-making mechanisms, and implementing Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union (the mutual assistance clause).

The timeline of the incidents

Before diplomatic and political discussions began, the aircraft carrying the three defense ministers reportedly experienced interference originating from the illegal airport at Tymbou.

According to sources from the Cypriot Ministry of Defense, at 19:14 local time authorities were informed that the aircraft carrying the French and Dutch defense ministers had been subjected to interference from Turkish operators via the control tower of the illegal airport in occupied Cyprus.

At 19:51, nearly forty minutes later, a second report was received concerning the aircraft carrying Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias.

The aircraft continued their flights normally and landed safely at Larnaca Airport. The same sources reported activity by Turkish F-16s that monitored, but did not approach, the flights of EU defense ministers arriving in Cyprus for the two-day informal summit.

According to Cypriot government sources, the defense ministers of Greece and France confirmed to their Cypriot counterpart that their flights had experienced electronic interference originating from the illegal airport at Tymbou, though they provided no further details.

In Dendias’s case, two Turkish F-16s were observed flying at a considerable distance and did not engage in any direct harassment.

Reactions

According to reports, a detailed briefing on the incidents is expected during the day. Diplomatic démarches are anticipated, and an official response from the European Union is also expected.

The incident was first reported by the Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros, and sources close to the Greek Ministry of Defense subsequently confirmed the report, although no further official reaction had been issued at the time of publication.