Hasan Taçoy urges EU to rethink its approach to Northern Cyprus’s EU accession and security ties

Hasan Taçoy, speaking on a Turkish‑Cypriot television program, said it is difficult to define where the European Union should stop its involvement with the island. He argued that the South‑Cyprus (Greek‑Cypriot) administration’s entry into the EU has opened new security and defence arrangements, noting that the United States lifted embargoes and that the Turkish‑Cypriot side is now being equipped with NATO weapons rather than Russian arms.

Taçoy highlighted that the Turkish‑Cypriot administration has been incorporated into the EU’s SAFE agreement and has pursued separate military pacts with Israel, France, the United States and others. He called on Turkish Cypriots to engage in dialogue, warning that without participation the SAFE process will continue without them and that “the Turkish Cypriot community must awaken the international arena.”