New Delhi, June 16: As India recalibrates its geopolitical strategy in response to Turkey’s growing alignment with Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a crucial diplomatic visit to Cyprus next month. The visit, which will coincide with his stopover en route to the G7 Summit in Canada, signals a renewed push by New Delhi to strengthen ties with strategic allies in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Tensions between India and Turkey have been escalating in recent months, especially after Ankara’s vocal support for Islamabad on the Kashmir issue. This sparked widespread outrage among Indian citizens, with many travellers boycotting Turkey and cancelling vacation plans. However, New Delhi appears to be taking a more measured and strategic response—shifting focus toward building alliances with Turkey’s regional adversaries.
Cyprus, an island nation situated just south of Turkey in the Mediterranean Sea, holds immense geopolitical importance. The country remains divided since 1974, when a Greece-backed coup triggered a Turkish military invasion. To this day, the island is split into the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus in the south and the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Ankara.
India’s diplomatic engagement with Cyprus is not new. From Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s visit in 1982, to Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002, former President Ram Nath Kovind in 2018, and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar in 2022—India has consistently nurtured bilateral ties with Nicosia. Cyprus, in return, has offered strong diplomatic backing to India, supporting its stance on Jammu & Kashmir, condemning cross-border terrorism, and endorsing India’s bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council.
The upcoming visit is expected to further boost this partnership, especially in light of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)—a transformative connectivity project aimed at linking India to Europe via West Asia. Cyprus, lying at the heart of this corridor, could become a vital transit hub, potentially attracting millions of dollars in Indian investment and infrastructure development.
Military cooperation is also on the agenda. Cyprus plans to increase its defence spending to 2% of GDP, creating an opening for New Delhi to supply cost-effective military hardware. A defence cooperation agreement was already signed between the two nations in 2022. India’s growing defence manufacturing capabilities, including missile systems like the BrahMos, may prove attractive not only to Cyprus but also to Greece, which has expressed interest in acquiring Indian-made systems.
These strategic shifts are part of India’s broader push to counter Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan’s influence. While ErdoÄŸan continues to back adversaries like Pakistan and expands arms sales to countries such as Bangladesh and the Maldives, India is choosing to respond by strengthening alliances with his regional rivals—through diplomacy, defence, and economic engagement.
As the Modi government prepares to deepen ties with Cyprus and possibly Greece, India is making it clear that it is no longer content with reactive diplomacy. Instead, it is proactively shaping the regional balance—sending a strong message to Ankara and beyond: provocations will be met not with rhetoric, but with strategic realignment and strengthened partnerships.
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