Specter of War With Turkey as Israel Arms Cyprus

Date: 16 September 2025 - 21:47

News ID: ۱۴۳۵۷۱

ANKARA (Dispatches) -- Last week, Israel delivered advanced Barak MX air defense systems to Cyprus, marking the third shipment since December amid escalating tensions with Turkey, Middle East Eye repots.
A video from Limassol port showed components of the Barak MX system being transported. The interceptor system can strike threats up to 150km away and includes powerful 3D radar capable of surveilling much of southern Turkey’s airspace. The Cypriot news outlet Reporter confirmed the system’s full delivery and expects it to become operational within the year.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the system’s manufacturer, has pushed for a more aggressive stance toward Cyprus. Shay Gal, IAI’s vice president for external relations, openly called for Israel to coordinate with Greece and Cyprus to “liberate” northern Cyprus from Turkish control. Gal’s proposal goes beyond defense, advocating for a military operation to forcibly remove Turkish forces—an inflammatory plan that risks igniting wider conflict.
Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 after a coup attempt aiming to unite the island with Greece, leading to the ongoing division between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish-controlled north. Israel’s recent arms shipments seem designed not for deterrence but for expanding its military footprint in a region already fraught with competing claims and ethnic tensions.
While Ankara has remained publicly silent, Turkish analysts warn the Barak MX system far exceeds the threat posed by the Russian S-300 missiles Cyprus attempted to acquire in the late 1990s—a crisis nearly pushing Turkey and Cyprus to war.
With a range up to 460km and radar capable of detecting artillery and rocket fire, the system dramatically shifts the regional military balance, serving Israel’s intelligence and strategic ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean.
Critics within Turkey condemn Israel’s actions as illegal provocations destabilizing the fragile status quo and directly threatening Turkey’s national security.
Israeli shipments continue under the radar, with Turkish security sources reporting ongoing tests and close monitoring. By fueling militarization in Cyprus, Israel risks inflaming regional tensions, undermining peace efforts, and entrenching divisions rather than fostering stability.