France rejects Turkish criticism of Cyprus defence agreement

Turkey had accused France and the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus of breaching international law by signing a status of forces agreement that would allow French troops to be deployed on the island. Turkey argued the arrangement aimed to unilaterally change the “sensitive balances” in Cyprus and warned it would respond forcefully to any threat against Turkish Cypriots. The agreement, signed in Nicosia on June 8, provides a framework for French forces to train and operate with access to military facilities for logistics and transit. Cyprus remains divided between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish-backed north, and the dispute has long been tied to wider security rivalries in the Eastern Mediterranean.