The invitation of representatives of the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, which does not have any status whatsoever in respect of NATO, amongst other EU members to the change of command ceremony for SACEUR that took place on 3rd May at SHAPE Headquarters in Mons, Brussels, was a gross blunder that cannot be justified in good faith.
We condemn this irresponsible behavior, which we understand was upon SHAPE Headquarters’ own initiative. We deem it necessary to remind on this occasion that the said Headquarters is under the political control of NATO Allies, including Turkey, and it is obliged to act accordingly.
Having been informed about the situation, Turkey did not participate in the change of command ceremony. The necessary steps have been taken in order to bring to light how SHAPE Headquarters committed this unforgivable mistake.
It should be clear that expecting a positive outcome from such a fait accompli will not contribute to the cooperation between NATO and the EU. We invite NATO authorities to ensure that all Allied structures act in accordance with collective decisions and with the Agreed Framework between the two organizations.
