India expands footprints in the Mediterranean

En route to Canada, Prime Minister Modi, on the invitation of the President of Cyprus, made a one-day stopover at Nicosia, the capital of the strategically located Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

Former PM Indira Gandhi visited Cyprus in 1982 and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002. Modi’s visit has come after a gap of 23 years. Two years ago, Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar also paid a visit to Cyprus, and in a press release of 29 December 2022, said, “I take this opportunity to once again reiterate our principled position on the Cyprus Issue. The Republic of India reiterates its commitment to a Bi-communal, Bi-zonal federation based on UN Resolutions as the solution to the Cyprus issue.” (Part 4)

As a reciprocal gesture, last year, the Cyprus president paid a visit to India at the invitation of the government.

Modi Honoured

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Cyprus’ highest civilian honour — The Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III — during his official visit to the Mediterranean nation. Expressing gratitude for the recognition, PM Modi dedicated the award to the deep-rooted friendship between India and Cyprus.

“This is an honour for 1.4 billion Indians. It is a tribute to their strength and aspirations,” the Prime Minister said, adding that it also represents a recognition of India’s culture, values, and the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is one family.

“I dedicate this award to the friendship between India and Cyprus, to our shared values, and to Cyprus’s understanding of India,” he added. PM Modi stated that he accepted the honour on behalf of all Indians with “utmost humility and gratitude”, saying it strengthens the two nations’ shared commitment to peace, security, sovereignty, regional integrity, and prosperity.

A release by the Ministry of External Affairs and cited by India Today on June 16, 2025, says, “Cyprus has supported India on numerous international bodies and remains one of India’s dependable friends.”

Cyprus supports India’s claim to a permanent seat on the expanded UN Security Council and supports the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement within the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and IAEA key forums in relation to India’s global energy ambitions. 

PM Modi held bilateral talks with President Christodoulides in the capital, Nicosia, and addressed business leaders in the port city of Limassol.

Strategic significance

The story of India extending her footprints in the Mediterranean region is significant in terms of geopolitics. Cyprus occupies is an entry point to Europe, Africa and Asia as it is situated close to all three.

Cyprus has suffered from the belligerence of its neighbour Turkey which has been inducting Islamic factors into the strained relations with that state. A little bit of history will clarify the statement.

The Ottomans conquered Cyprus in CE 1571 and remained in power till 1875. Great Britain annexed the island unilaterally in 1914 after declaring war against the Sublime Porte (an old euphemism for the Turkish Empire) during World War I.  Subsequently, under the provisions of the Lausanne Treaty, Turkey relinquished all claims and rights on Cyprus.

However, in 1925, following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain declined to cede Cyprus to Greece and declared its annexation as  a Crown Colony. 

It had then become clear to the Greek Cypriots, from English officials (such as the Colonial Secretary Leo Amery) that enosis (unification with Greece) was out of the question, and that this subject was closed, denying the hopes and expectations of the Greek Cypriots.

The 1960 constitution put in place a form of power-sharing, or consociationalism government (a consociational state has major internal divisions along ethnic, religious, or linguistic lines, but which remains stable due to consultation among the elites of these groups), in which concessions were made to the Turkish Cypriots minority, including a requirement that the vice-president of Cyprus and at least a third of members of parliament would be Turkish Cypriots. Archbishop Makarios III would be the President. It was the same Archbishop Makarios who had strongly supported Nehru’s Non-Aligned movement.

Turkey’s aggression

The coup staged by the Athens military junta against the elected government of President Makarios on July 15, 1974, gave Turkey a pretext to impose its divisive plans against Cyprus. On July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus in violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. The illegal Turkish invasion was carried out in two phases. During the second phase, Turkey took the city of Famagusta, and has illegally occupied over 36% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus ever since.

This reminds us of the Pakistani attack on Kashmir in 1947 and the illegal occupation of a part of the state (POJK) to date.

As a result of the Turkish military invasion and occupation, 162,000 Greek Cypriots had to flee their homes, becoming refugees in their own country. To this day the occupying forces impede the return of refugees to their homes and property. By the end of 1975, the vast majority of Turkish-Cypriots living in areas controlled by the legitimate government were forced to move to the Turkish-occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

20,000 Greek Cypriots and Maronites chose not to leave their homes despite the Turkish occupation. Most of those who remained, mainly on the Karpasia Peninsula, were gradually forced to abandon the area. The number of Greek Cypriots and Maronites currently living in the area has plummeted to as few as 300 individuals.

At the same time, Turkey has implemented a systematic policy of settlement of the occupied part of Cyprus since 1974 with the mass transfer of more than 160,000 Turks from Turkey to change the demographic profile and  balance on the island. This policy, toget her with the expulsion of the Greek-Cypriot inhabitants out of the Turkish controlled area, the destruction of the cultural heritage, and the illegal change of geographical place names in the occupied part of Cyprus, aims at the elimination of every single, centuries-old Greek and Christian element, and eventually the “Turkification” of the region. It is intended to change the balance of power and the social fabric in the occupied part of Cyprus, to ensure that the Turkish-Cypriot leadership conforms to the policies of the Turkish government. With the mass migration of Turkish Cypriots into the occupied territories, the total number of Turkish soldiers and settlers is now greater than that of the remaining Turkish Cypriots.

Erdogan’s Islamist ambition

On the one hand, Turkey, a NATO member has been pressing for EU membership and on the other it aims to wrest the leadership of the Islamic world from Saudi Arabia. President Erdogan had succeeded in influencing Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, Qatar and Iran. (See“ https://arab.news/n8bfk)

An Islamic “mini-summit” in Kuala Lumpur was initially intended to bring together five countries, but Indonesia and Pakistan withdrew from the group after receiving a warning from Saudi Arabia. This left Malaysia, the host country, with only Turkey and Qatar, but Iran joined them at the last minute. Many observers have reservations about the motives prompting  participation in the meeting.

The clear common denominator is political Islam, with the Shiite version represented by the hardline Vilayat Al-Faqih doctrine of the Iranian regime, and the Sunni version represented by the Muslim Brotherhood, which has close ties with Turkey and Qatar.

Organisations such as the Brotherhood use populist religious slogans and raise issues that play on the heartstrings of the devout to serve their narrow political agenda. They seek to mobilise a public eager for idealistic victories. For example, Palestine is one of the most popular causes, cynically exploited by the Brotherhood and similar organisations. Hypocritically, however, “some of the participants in the Kuala Lumpur meeting prefer not to reveal their political, economic, and commercial ties with Israel,” wrote the Arab News on 30 December 2019

Erdogan’s Kashmir Passion

Patronizing Pan-Islamism as an ingredient for the revival of “Ottoman grandeur,” Erdogan came out in open support of Pakistan’s stand on the Kashmir dispute. He raised the Kashmir issue several times at the UN General Assembly. Through Pakistani conduits, he established liaisons with Kashmiri Muslim separatists and promised to encourage and support the Kashmir secessionist movement. The daughter of late Kashmir Hurriyat Conference leader, Ali Shah Geelani was permitted to open a TV channel in Ankara through which she spouted venom against India and the Hindu community. Many Kashmiri students were admitted to educational institutes in Turkey through the instrumentality of Jamaat Islami Kashmir and its mentors in Pakistan. These students were generally admitted to religious seminaries where, besides Islamic studies, they were also indoctrinated with anti-Indian propaganda.

Tailpiece

In the three-day India-Pakistan aerial confrontation that  shaped the aftermath of the killing of 26 Indian tourists to Kashmir by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, Turkey openly announced that she would join the Indo-Pak war on the side of Pakistan. Turkey supplied hundreds of drones to Pakistan some of which, however, were shot down by the Indian aerial defence mechanism. Turkey builds warships and subs for Pakistan. Reports from dependable sources reveal that some Turkish-built warships have been deployed for the security of the Karachi port.

To refresh the memory of readers it will be noted that India launched “Operation Dost” to assist Turkey after the devastating earthquake in February 2023. India sent multiple batches of aid, including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, search and rescue dog squads, medical teams, field hospitals, medicines, relief materials, and specialised equipment. The Indian Air Force deployed several C-17 aircraft to deliver these supplies and personnel rapidly. Turkey’s ambassador publicly thanked India, calling it a “friend in need” and appreciating the valuable help provided.

In contrast, recent reports indicate Turkey has provided military support to Pakistan during the current India-Pakistan air war. The Indian government stated that Pakistan used Turkish SONGAR drones in attacks on Indian territory, and a Turkish naval warship visited Karachi amid heightened tensions. Turkish authorities claimed some activities, like a cargo plane landing, were routine, but the timing of military cooperation suggests active Turkish support for Pakistan in the conflict.

The Indian government should highlight the plight of Cyprus by bringing to the notice of the international community that Turkey should not be allowed to retain illegal control over the northern third of Cyprus.