France and Cyprus will sign a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) on Monday that will allow Paris to station troops on the Mediterranean island, two senior government officials in Nicosia confirmed to POLITICO.
French soldiers will be deployed in Cyprus/PHOTO:X
The document will be initialed by French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin and Cypriot Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas on the same day that both officials attend the informal meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council in its defense configuration.
According to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, the agreement “will ensure the presence of French forces on Cypriot territory, strictly for humanitarian purposes, as part of the strengthened cooperation we have with the French government.”
Parameters of cooperation and respect for sovereignty
The new military pact will define the exact terms in which French forces can be stationed, train and operate in Cyprus, with strict respect for national sovereignty. The agreement covers a wide range of strategic areas:
-Increased military coordination and interoperability between the two armies
-Close ties in the defense technology sector and related industry
-Joint military exercises and educational activities
-Exchanges of personnel and administrative arrangements for the forces operating on the territory of the other state.
Plans for the deal were initially announced in April during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the island, sparking regional controversy ever since.
The harsh reaction of the Turkish Cypriot community
The island of Cyprus has remained divided between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south since 1974, when Turkish forces invaded the region in response to an Athens-backed coup. While the Republic of Cyprus is a member state of the European Union and internationally recognized as the sole sovereign authority over the entire territory of the island, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is politically recognized only by Ankara.
The Turkish Cypriot administration in the north reacted by declaring the deal “null and void” immediately after the official announcement. Northern leaders have expressed deep concern that the French military presence could alter the fragile balance of power on the island, ignoring the rights of the Turkish Cypriot community and fueling new geopolitical tensions. They also challenged the legitimacy of the Republic of Cyprus to sign such a treaty on behalf of the entire island.
