Türkiye: Naval dispute with Cyprus sparked – Ankara tightened embargo

deep-seated conflict
A naval dispute erupts between Turkey and Cyprus – Ankara tightens the shipping embargo

A new dispute has flared up between Turkey and Cyprus. The government in Ankara has extended its shipping embargo against the neighboring island state. The incident has far-reaching implications, extending as far as the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The small island state of Cyprus has to deal with a big opponent: Turkey. Relations between the two neighboring countries have been strained for a long time. Now the bitter dispute over maritime rights is boiling up. Turkey has imposed a second embargo on Cypriot ships, Cyprus Deputy Minister of State for Maritime Affairs Marina Chatzimanoli said recently.

Since 1987, the government in Ankara has prohibited ships flying the Cypriot flag from docking in Turkish ports. But recently Turkey extended its embargo against the small EU island republic again. It now also applies to ships under Cypriot management.

As part of the grain agreement between Ukraine and Russia, which provides for the release of Ukrainian ports, ships exporting grain are allowed to sail through the Black Sea and the Bosphorus Strait. However, according to Chatzimanoli, Cypriot ships are exempt. “Turkey […] prevents any ship flying the Cypriot flag or any ship managed in Cyprus from participating in this process [gemeint: die Durchfahrt von Schiffen durch den Bosporus] participate,” Greek media quote Cyprus’ Deputy Minister of State for Maritime Affairs as saying.

Cyprus does not support Türkiye’s IMO candidacy

The Cypriot shipping industry has now suffered significant losses under the Turkish embargo, which has been in place for more than three decades. While in July 2021 a total of 1,752 vessels with a capacity of 25 million tons were registered in Cyprus, in 2022 the fleet decreased to 1,663 vessels with a capacity of 22 million tons.

The anger in Cyprus about the two embargoes in shipping is great. The island state is therefore reacting with opposition to Turkey’s candidacy for the post of Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The specialized agency of the United Nations is primarily responsible for the safety of international maritime traffic and the creation of fair competitive conditions for the shipping industry. And among the seven nominees up to the deadline a week ago (March 31) for the new post of Secretary General, which is to be filled at the beginning of 2024, is a Turkish candidate. According to Chatzimanoli, Cyprus itself intends to apply for re-election to the IMO Council for the period 2024-2025.

Closest ally Greece improves relations with Türkiye

On the other hand, Cyprus’ closest ally, Greece, not only wants to support Cyprus in its candidacy for re-election to category C of the IMO Council, as the Greek newspaper “Protothema” reports, among others. Instead, it also wants to support Turkey – albeit for the post of IMO Secretary General. Unlike Nicosia, Athens and Ankara are currently on an unexpected course of reconciliation. In recent months, Turkish threatening gestures have become more and more serious, there have been risky confrontations with ships in the Aegean and mock air battles with Greek and Turkish fighter jets. Disputes also prevailed over the rights of the sea. Serious concerns arose about an escalation and, as a result, about a military conflict.

However, the devastating earthquake in Turkey on February 6 brought an abrupt turn in relations between the two neighboring countries: When Greece was one of the first countries to send rescue workers and dozens of tons of aid to the crisis region – Turkey, on the other hand, rejected Cyprus’ offer of help -, they also took action the Turkish media: Greece was suddenly no longer an enemy, but a “friend”. Since then, Turkish ministers have given their Greek counterparts a warm welcome and suddenly talk about “very good relations”. So the signs are good, but it remains to be seen whether the current positive relations will continue after the parliamentary and presidential elections in Turkey and the parliamentary elections in Greece. In both countries, the elections are due in May.

Conflicts put a heavy strain on Turkish-Cypriot relations

Although Cyprus shares both language and culture with Greece, attempts to improve relations between Ankara and Nicosia appear to be even more difficult to achieve. The Greek part meanwhile accepts the fact that the north of the island is inhabited by Turks after the Turkish invasion in 1974. Nevertheless, the so-called Cyprus conflict is still unresolved. While Turkey is insisting on a two-state solution, the UN is banking on the formation of a federation of two politically equal states. Nicosia is ready, but demands that there be a strong central government and that Turkish troops withdraw. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis, who was elected in February, said in an interview with “Euronews” at the end of March that the Cyprus problem had top priority. Christodoulidis expressed grave concern that unless the problem is solved, a solution “gets more and more remote” with each passing day. Because: “The status quo is getting worse every day.”

However, Ankara appears to be bothered by an increase in power for Cyprus; there was an angry response when the US lifted the decades-long arms embargo on Cyprus last September. In addition, the Turks are likely to have a thorn in the flesh of Cyprus’ joint EastMed project with Greece and Israel, which in future is supposed to supply gas to the European Union via a 1,900-kilometer-long pipeline in the Mediterranean Sea. After all, Turkey plays a dominant role in the Mediterranean. It looks as if no solution will be found in the naval dispute anytime soon.

Sources: Naftemporiki, Kathimerini, euronews, proto-theme, IMO