Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas has declared that states deemed a threat to European Union member states will not be permitted to join the EU’s Security Action for Europe (Safe) defence procurement programme. His comments came during a church service in the Paphos district village of Kelokedara on Sunday.
Photo: cyprus-mail.com
Palmas referenced remarks made by European Council president Antonio Costa, who recently emphasised that the Safe programme is open only to countries that do not pose security risks to EU members. “The position of European Council president Antonio Costa is very clear, that states which pose a threat to EU member states cannot participate in the Safe mechanism,” Palmas stated.
The situation has become particularly contentious due to ongoing discussions about Turkey’s potential involvement. Reports suggest that some EU officials are advocating for Turkey’s inclusion in the programme, despite longstanding tensions between Turkey and Greece. Notably, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is expected to discuss this matter during his visit to Greece on Monday, as reported by the newspaper Kathimerini.
During previous meetings on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis engaged with both German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, focusing on the issue of Turkey’s participation in Safe. Turkey formally submitted its application to join the programme last month.
President Nikos Christodoulides also addressed this matter in Copenhagen, reiterating the EU’s stance that NATO member states that violate the sovereignty of EU countries should not benefit from the programme. He stated, “More specifically, as regards Turkey, it is up to Turkey if it wants to participate in this very important instrument.” He added that Turkey must take positive steps regarding the Cyprus issue to be considered for participation.
Palmas indicated that Cyprus, along with Greece, stands firm in its opposition to Turkey’s entry into the programme, having expressed a unified front for over a year within the EU’s defence councils. He remarked that while the government does not oppose participation from third states, that participation must not endanger EU member states or the Union itself.
“In this case, Turkey is a state which has been established in Cyprus as an invader for 51 years and at the same time threatens Greece itself daily in the Aegean and in the Greek islands,” Palmas said, underscoring the complexities of regional security.
On another note, Palmas highlighted Cyprus’ own participation in the Safe programme, through which the government has secured over €1 billion for military hardware. All participating states have until November 30 to submit their lists of desired armament programmes. The funding is part of a larger €150 billion allocation by the European Commission for this initiative.
The Safe programme is accessible not only to the 27 EU member states but also to the four European Economic Area states—namely Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland—as well as Ukraine and six other countries that have signed common defence agreements with the EU. Turkey, while eligible to seek a similar agreement, would require the unanimous consent of all EU member states to gain access to the Safe programme.
