The Republic of Cyprus, through President Nikos Christodoulides, initially sought to deny or downplay information and statements made by the United Kingdom’s Defence Secretary, John Healey, who said on Sunday that missiles had been launched from Iran towards Cyprus, targeting the British Bases. In what was evidently an attempt to reassure the Cypriot public, Nikos Christodoulides, through his spokesperson, stated that he had spoken with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who assured him that there was no such threat on the horizon because Cyprus was not a target.
This categorical approach by the President and the government spokesperson amounted, in essence, to an attempt to avoid broadening the scope of public information and clearly conveying the message that “we are part of the crisis”, not in the sense of participating in it, but because geography makes it impossible to escape reality. However, once the government had for hours communicated that the country “is not part of the problem but part of the solution”, it could hardly take seriously the possibility that Cyprus might become a target in the turmoil that has unfolded since Saturday morning.
Political illusion
The problem with the government’s handling, at least before the abrupt return to reality, is that there exists and is projected as part of its identity a political illusion that “Cyprus is a pillar of stability”. This tendency towards self-aggrandisement regarding the role Cyprus can play in the region has proven to be a significant obstacle in assessing and articulating the country’s actual weight in the broader area.
During yesterday’s developments, when an unprecedented and highly extreme situation had clearly emerged across the region and in Cyprus, the political leadership shifted towards more realistic positions, under the weight of concern that circumstances could escalate at any moment. Nevertheless, even yesterday, one could still hear grand statements from public officials. In his brief address, the President assured that “the Republic of Cyprus does not participate and does not intend to become involved in any way in military operations” and added that it “remains committed to its humanitarian role, acting as part of the solution and not the problem”.
With realism and modesty
The President and other members of the Council of Ministers, including the Foreign Minister, the Defence Minister and the government spokesperson as the conveyor of information, must finally act with modesty and accept that they cannot play on the chessboard of the region’s major powers. They should stop searching for rhetorical formulations that place Cyprus within a narrative of “added value”, as is frequently stated, while the initial management of the situation in Cyprus was at best unfortunate and inadequate. This is what happens when everything operates within a uniquely Cypriot amateurism.
The current leadership must send the message that Cyprus, by virtue of its geography and size, is compelled to operate within the sphere of realism. That realism requires honesty with citizens, an acknowledgment that we live in a difficult neighbourhood, that alliances have limits, and that our strategy must rely more on institutional strength and less on communicative exaggeration and power games. Above all, it must be understood that the country cannot “guide” strategic axes or impose directions on more powerful partners. When it attempts to present itself as a decisive geostrategic player, it often slips into a narrative that serves domestic needs more than it reflects reality.