Cyprus’s importance in the Eastern Mediterranean
In the heart of the eastern Mediterranean, where Europe meets the Middle East and where sea routes link the Suez Canal with the European coast, the small island of Cyprus has regained a geopolitical centrality that seemed reserved solely for the great powers.
For centuries, the Phoenicians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Ottomans and British understood the strategic value of this territory situated off the coasts of Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. Today, in the 21st century, this ancient status as a decisive enclave has taken on a new dimension marked by energy rivalry, military tensions and the struggle for political control of the eastern Mediterranean.
Cyprus’s importance in the Eastern Mediterranean
The Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union since 2004, remains the only European state partially occupied by foreign forces. Since the Turkish military intervention of 1974, the north of the island – which constitutes 36% of its territory – has remained under the control of Ankara and the self-proclaimed “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, recognised solely by Turkey. This territorial divide not only shapes Cypriot domestic politics but has also become one of the most persistent sources of tension between Greece and Turkey, two nominal NATO allies with deep-seated strategic, historical and maritime differences.
The island, located just over a hundred kilometres from the Syrian and Turkish coasts, is a key element in understanding the security architecture of the eastern Mediterranean. Its geographical position makes it a bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa, but also a military and energy hub of immense value. It is no coincidence that the United Kingdom has retained the sovereign bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cypriot territory, considered essential for British and Western operations in the Middle East. Nor is it a coincidence that the European Union is watching the island’s stability with growing interest against a backdrop marked by the war in Ukraine, energy insecurity and regional competition.
Cyprus’s strategic importance has intensified particularly since the discovery of significant natural gas fields on the seabed of the eastern Mediterranean. The reserves detected off the coasts of Israel, Egypt and Cyprus itself have profoundly altered the regional balance and opened up the possibility of turning this region into an energy alternative for Europe, offering a way out of dependence on Russian gas.
In Cypriot waters, the discovery of the Aphrodite field and the exploration of new offshore blocks aroused the interest of major international companies and reinforced Nicosia’s conviction that the country could become a major energy player. However, these discoveries also heightened tensions with Turkey, which rejects the maritime agreements signed by Cyprus with Egypt, Israel and Greece and considers that both the Turkish Cypriot community and Ankara have rights to part of these resources.
For years, Turkish survey vessels accompanied by military units operated in maritime areas claimed by the Republic of Cyprus, triggering recurring diplomatic crises with the European Union. Nicosia denounced these drilling operations as violations of its sovereignty and succeeded in getting Brussels to approve sanctions against those responsible for the explorations deemed illegal. The energy conflict thus became part of a much broader dispute linked to control of the exclusive economic zones and the redefinition of power in the eastern Mediterranean.
Offshore drilling rig in the waters off the Cypriot coastal city of Limassol – AP/ PETROS KARADIJAS
Rivalry with Turkey
Underlying this confrontation is the historic rivalry between Greece and Turkey, marked by decades of mutual mistrust, territorial disputes and traumatic memories. For Athens, the Turkish military presence in northern Cyprus constitutes an unacceptable occupation that threatens regional stability. For Ankara, however, the 1974 intervention was a necessary response to the coup instigated by sectors favouring the island’s union with Greece. Since then, the Cyprus conflict has become an extension of the strategic rivalry between the two Aegean powers.
The tensions are not limited solely to Cyprus. They also encompass maritime boundaries in the Aegean Sea, control of airspace and disputes over hydrocarbon-rich continental shelves. In this complex landscape, Cyprus occupies a crucial position because it allows for the projection of military and energy influence towards the Middle East and North Africa.
In recent years, Nicosia has responded to Turkish pressure by strengthening a network of regional alliances that is redefining the political map of the eastern Mediterranean. Trilateral cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Israel has become one of the most significant strategic developments in the region. The three countries share common interests linked to maritime security, energy exploitation and the containment of Turkish expansion.
The rapprochement between Cyprus and Israel is particularly revealing of contemporary geopolitical transformations. For decades, Israel maintained close strategic cooperation with Turkey. However, the deterioration of relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv prompted Israel to seek new regional partners. Cyprus then emerged as a natural ally due to geographical proximity, political affinity and energy convergence.
Joint military exercises, technological cooperation agreements and projects linked to gas transport have consolidated an increasingly deep relationship between the two countries. The EastMed gas pipeline project, promoted jointly with Greece, symbolised this new strategic architecture designed to transport gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe without passing through Turkish territory. Although economic and technical difficulties have slowed its development, the project retains significant geopolitical weight as it represents the desire to create an alternative energy axis in the region.
Greece, for its part, regards Cyprus as an essential component of its Mediterranean strategy. Military and diplomatic cooperation between Athens and Nicosia has intensified steadily in the face of a shared perception of an increasingly assertive Turkey under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The presence of Turkish troops in the north of the island, estimated at tens of thousands, continues to be viewed by the Cypriot government as the main threat to its national security.
The EastMed gas pipeline project, launched in partnership with Greece, symbolised this new strategic framework designed to transport gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe – AP/ YORGOS KARAHALIS
Ties with Arab countries
At the same time, Cyprus has developed growing ties with Egypt and several moderate Arab countries, seeking to establish itself as a diplomatic bridge between the European Union and the Middle East. Cyprus’s own president, Nikos Christodoulides, has been keen to present the island not merely as a country under Turkish occupation, but as a regional player capable of playing a significant role in Mediterranean stability and in relations between Europe and the Arab world.
The war in Gaza and growing regional instability further reinforced Cyprus’s strategic importance. Its proximity to Israel and Lebanon made the island a key logistical hub for evacuations, humanitarian operations and diplomatic coordination. The European Union began to view Cyprus not merely as a small peripheral state, but as an indispensable platform for European engagement with the Middle East.
The President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, alongside the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, on the day of the summit of European Union leaders and regional partners held in Nicosia (Lefkosia), Cyprus, on 24 April 2026 – REUTERS/YVES HERMAN
Turkish occupation
At the same time, the island is attempting to prevent the issue of the occupation from completely dominating its international image. For years, Cypriot diplomacy focused almost exclusively on denouncing the Turkish presence and seeking international support for reunification. Today, without abandoning that demand, Nicosia aspires to present itself as a modern, dynamic and strategic actor within the European architecture.
However, the conflict remains deeply rooted. The Green Line dividing Nicosia continues to be one of the most visible symbols of contemporary European fragmentation. Patrolled by United Nations forces for decades, this demilitarised strip serves as a daily reminder that the Greek-Turkish confrontation in the Mediterranean basin never truly ended in Cyprus. The enormous flag of the self-proclaimed Turkish Cypriot Republic, visible from the capital, is, for many Greek Cypriots, a constant reminder of the occupation.
The UN-led reunification negotiations have met with repeated failures. The so-called Crans Montana process, once considered the most serious opportunity to reach a final agreement, ended without concrete results. Growing mistrust between the parties, differences over the institutional model and the issue of Turkish military guarantees continue to block any stable solution.
Cyprus is trying to prevent the issue of the occupation from completely overshadowing its international image – REUTERS/ YIANNIS KOURTOGLOU
Despite this, Cyprus maintains remarkable economic and political stability compared to much of the region. Its membership of the European Union, the development of the financial sector, tourism and the prospect of energy exploitation have helped to strengthen its international standing. Furthermore, the island has established itself as a major centre for services and trade between Europe and the Middle East.
In an era marked by the return of great power rivalry and the growing militarisation of energy routes, Cyprus once again occupies a disproportionately important position relative to its size, which nonetheless makes it the third-largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily and Sardinia. The island simultaneously represents a European frontier, a Western military platform, a potential energy hub and a stage where the ambitions of Turkey, Greece, Israel and the major international powers converge.
The history of Cyprus demonstrates that the eastern Mediterranean remains one of the most sensitive regions on the planet. Where continents, religions, energy interests and imperial memories intersect, geography continues to shape politics. And few nations embody this reality better than this small, divided island, situated at the very heart of the geopolitical turbulence of the 21st century.