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France defended its military agreement with the Greek Cypriot administration as a technical arrangement for humanitarian operations, pushing back against Turkish objections that it breaches international law, a French diplomatic source told Türkiye Today.
The source described the deal as a bilateral framework for hosting French forces for "humanitarian operations" in the wider Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East amid heightened security concerns in the region.
"The agreement supports European strategic autonomy and reflects a shared commitment to regional security and a collective capacity to respond to crises," the source said.
Türkiye called the SOFA pact a violation of the 1960 Cyprus treaties and international law and warned that the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) "have the strength and determination to give the harshest response to hostile attitudes that threaten the security of Cypriot Turks."
"A SOFA is a technical arrangement," the source said, describing it as a legal framework for foreign military personnel present in a host country in support of a larger defense partnership.
"France concludes such bilateral status of forces agreements with countries not covered by a multilateral structure such as the North Atlantic Treaty, and Cyprus is not a NATO member," the source said.
"The June 8 agreement, signed by France's armed forces minister and her Cypriot counterpart, will simplify procedures around existing technical military exchanges such as stopovers and overflights, particularly during a non-combatant evacuation operation," according to the French diplomatic source.
The source pointed to June 2025, when the territory of Greek Cyprus was used to facilitate civil-military operations to help French nationals return from Israel during what the source called the "12-day war."
"We stood with our Turkish ally, which was dragged against its will into the Middle East conflict last March," the source said.
"We stand ready to respond to requests from all our allies, in accordance with our multilateral commitments," the source added.
Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) view the agreement as a unilateral attempt to alter the island's sensitive balance and a violation of Ankara's guarantor rights under the 1960 agreements.
France holds no guarantor status under the 1960 framework.
Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler called the deal a violation of international law on June 19, speaking to Turkish journalists in Brussels after a NATO Defense Ministers Meeting.
"The agreement signed between France, which holds no guarantor status, and the Greek Cypriot administration is in fact an initiative without legitimacy, one that disrupts sensitive balances and violates international law," Guler said.
Guler said Türkiye's measures for the security of the TRNC serve the stability of the entire island and that the Turkish Armed Forces possess the power and will to respond to any fait accompli targeting Turkish Cypriots.
He cited the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel and the resulting missile and drone threats as proof of how sensitive Eastern Mediterranean security remains.
"Türkiye is on the side of peace, stability, and constructive dialogue in the Eastern Mediterranean," he said, adding that Ankara's will to fulfill its guarantor responsibilities is complete.
The France-Greek Cyprus SOFA was first discussed during French President Emmanuel Macron's April 23 visit to Greek Cyprus and entered into force on June 8.
It grants French forces access to Greek Cypriot bases and military infrastructure for operations in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East and covers military technology sharing, joint exercises, and strategic dialogue.
Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides announced the agreement's entry into force on social media, saying it contributed to the EU's common goal of strategic autonomy.
Under the 1960 Guarantee Agreement, a permanent foreign military presence on Cyprus without the consent of the three guarantor states, Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom, targets the island's legal and political status, in Ankara's assessment.
The France deal is the latest in a series of defense agreements Greek Cyprus has concluded in recent years with partners including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the Czech Republic, Armenia, India, Jordan, Egypt and Greece.
These agreements cover military alliances, technology transfers and the use of naval and air facilities.
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