Israel may supply warships to Cyprus, and Ankara is unlikely to be pleased

Talks are at an advanced stage on two Israeli defense companies, Israel Shipyards and Rafael, supplying the Republic of Cyprus's navy with warships equipped with advanced weapons systems. The deal, worth around 150 million euros, could be signed in the coming weeks once the two countries' defense ministries finalize the terms. According to the plans, Israel Shipyards would build the vessels, while Rafael would provide the weapons systems. Israel has not officially confirmed the deal, and neither company was willing to comment.

This is not the first defense deal between the two countries. Less than ten years ago, Israel Shipyards already delivered a patrol vessel to Cyprus, equipped with radar, a command system and two Typhoon naval weapon stations, which protects the country's exclusive economic zone. Israel Aerospace Industries, for its part, sold the Barak MX air defense and missile interception system to Nicosia, which was first shown to the public at the military parade held in early October marking the 66th anniversary of independence. According to Euronews, the warship deal fits into a broader strengthening of diplomatic and defense ties between the two countries, and Calcalist's Israeli defense industry sources expect the agreement to pave the way for further business partnerships, including joint defense production.

This is unlikely to be met with enthusiasm in Ankara. When it first leaked last September that Cyprus had purchased the Israeli Barak MX system, an unnamed Turkish defense official said the acquisition undermined the island's peace and stability, and Turkey threatened Nicosia with "dangerous consequences." Cypriot Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas responded that as long as the occupation continues, Cyprus has a "self-evident duty" to ensure its own defense. The parallel is no coincidence: in 1997, Turkey threatened military action when Cyprus wanted to deploy Russian-made S-300 missiles, and the crisis only subsided when Nicosia eventually handed the missiles over to Greece. Turkey has occupied the northern third of the island since 1974; more than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed in the self-declared “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” recognized by almost no other country, and according to an analysis by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Ankara has also deployed ATMACA anti-ship missiles with a range of 200 kilometers, which can reach Israel's offshore energy fields.

The Israeli-Cypriot rapprochement is thus taking place in a region where Turkish-Israeli relations have sunk to a low point in recent years, while Ankara is acting ever more assertively in the Eastern Mediterranean to defend its own interests. Israel, meanwhile, wants to protect its gas fields and undersea pipelines, and Cyprus could be a partner in exactly this. The new warship deal is therefore not merely the development of a small EU member state's navy, but another step toward a regional alliance that Ankara openly interprets as an encirclement of itself.

Ugar