turkish ban — turkish ban — No developments have emerged in the ongoing efforts to lift the Turkish government’s ban on Cypriot-flagged ships entering its ports, as confirmed by Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis on Sunday.
Speaking at an event in Yeroskipou, a village in the Paphos district, Hadjimanolis noted that President Nikos Christodoulides consistently raises the issue of the embargo, but no significant progress has been made. “So much effort is being made so that Cyprus is always at the top,” she stated, expressing hope for a resolution in the near future.
Despite the challenges posed by the embargo, Hadjimanolis emphasised that Cyprus has emerged as a significant player in the shipping industry, with its flag recognised worldwide. Earlier this year, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis revealed that the Cypriot government had proposed an exchange to the Turkish government: allowing Cypriot-flagged ships access to Turkish ports in return for easier European visa access for Turkish businesspeople.
This proposal is part of President Christodoulides’ broader strategy to encourage more active EU involvement in resolving the Cyprus issue and enhancing relations between Europe and Turkey. Letymbiotis stressed that opening Turkish ports to Cypriot ships is an “obligation” for Turkey and that the Cypriot government is working to strengthen the framework of EU-Turkey relations.
However, Turkey’s foreign ministry quickly dismissed the proposal. Spokesman Oncu Keceli described the claims as unfounded, labelling them as fiction from the Greek Cypriot press. He stated, “The claims that our country’s ports will be opened to Greek Cypriot ships in exchange for facilitating EU visas for our businesspeople are a product of the imagination.” This denial reflects the complex and often contentious nature of relations between Cyprus and Turkey.
As the situation stands, the proposal for lifting the ban on Cypriot ships is set to be revisited in the first half of next year when Cyprus assumes the presidency of the Council of the EU. The Turkish embargo, in place since 1987, restricts access to Turkish ports for all ships registered in the Republic of Cyprus, as well as those that have called at Cypriot ports before arriving in Turkey.
In 1997, the embargo was expanded to include ships managed by Cypriot companies and those with ownership linked to Cyprus. Notably, this restriction does not apply to cruise ships. The Cypriot ports authority has consistently labelled the embargo as a violation of international law, reaffirming that it does not impose reciprocal embargoes on Turkish-flagged vessels, except for those departing from northern ports.
However, data indicates a decline in the number of Turkish-flagged ships docking in Cyprus. The ports authority reported that only 43 Turkish ships arrived in Cyprus during the first eight months of 2023, a significant decrease from 140 in the same period in 2022. Furthermore, only six Turkish-flagged ships have visited Cypriot ports between 2020 and 2023, indicating a worrying trend for maritime relations.
