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Cyprus Paid Dearly for 'Neutrality,' MP Claims

Published March 18, 2026, 12:13
Cyprus Paid Dearly for 'Neutrality,' MP Claims

New Democracy MP Dimitris Kairidis commented on scenarios of Cyprus joining NATO, emphasizing that Cyprus has paid dearly for its 'neutrality' in the past, mainly due to the policies of AKEL and Makarios. He argued that Cyprus would have benefited from joining NATO as early as 1974, as it did not receive assistance from neutral or non-aligned countries during the Turkish invasion. Kairidis also referred to the potential Turkish veto on Cyprus's accession to NATO, expressing the view that the Greek Left unfairly supports Turkey on this issue. He stressed the importance of Cyprus's accession to the EU, which was promoted by Giorgos Vassiliou and Kostas Simitis, and expressed hope for Cyprus's accession to NATO.