The decision of the Greek Cypriot Administration to open an embassy in Kazakhstan had a shock effect in Türkiye. Astana’s weight within the Organization of Turkic States, its status as one of the central countries of the Central Corridor, and the increase in the visibility of the TRNC in the Turkish world in recent years have turned the Greek administration’s Kazakhstan initiative into a much more sensitive topic. The awarding of the “State Friendship Medal” by Kazakhstan President Kasım Cömert Tokayev to the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, Nikos Hristodulidis, further strengthened the symbolic dimension of this diplomatic move. In the analysis, it is stated that the Astana move of the Greek Cypriot administration indirectly concerns not only Türkiye’s theses in the Eastern Mediterranean, but also the Eurasian line that it is trying to establish through the Organization of Turkish States.
STRATEGY TO SIEGE TRNC
It is a matter of curiosity how this initiative in Astana will affect the visibility of the TRNC in the Turkish world. While TRNC has observer status in the Organization of Turkic States, Türkiye has been making diplomatic efforts for a long time to make TRNC more visible on international platforms. Against this The Greek administration wants to narrow the legitimacy area of the TRNC within the Turkish world, increase its direct contacts with the Central Asian countries and express its claim of “the only legitimate Cypriot state” more strongly in regional capitals.
THE CENTER OF THE KAZAKHSTAN CORRIDOR
In addition to being one of the most important members of the Organization of Turkic States, Kazakhstan is also among the central countries of the Central Corridor. For Türkiye, Astana has strategic importance in terms of transportation lines passing through the Caspian, energy security, logistics connections, defense diplomacy and the vision of the Turkish world. For this reason, the Greek administration’s strengthening of its diplomatic representation in Kazakhstan is evaluated not only in the context of bilateral relations, but also in terms of the possibility of ‘moving the Cyprus issue to Eurasian platforms’.
LINE INITIATIVE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN
Strategists, on the other hand, emphasize that this move of the Greek administration indirectly concerns not only Türkiye’s theses in the Eastern Mediterranean, but also the Eurasian line that it is trying to establish through the Organization of Turkish States. International Relations Expert Prof. Dr. Hasan Köni, while commenting on the strategy of the Greek administration, “The Greek Cypriots are not limited to keeping the Cyprus issue only on the grounds of the United Nations and the European Union, but are also trying to extend the diplomatic line they have established in the Eastern Mediterranean through Israel, Greece, Egypt and the European Union to a wider geography. Contacts with India, Gulf countries, the Middle East and now Central Asia are seen as parts of this expansion strategy. “Opening an embassy in Kazakhstan is a new link in the quest to position itself as a ‘diplomatic bridge’ between the Eastern Mediterranean and Eurasia,” he says.
DEEP MOTION WARNING
Strategy analyst Dr. Ahmet Uslu, on the other hand, emphasized that Kazakhstan has a foreign policy approach that tries to establish relations with many centers at the same time in the multipolar world order, and said: “The test facing Türkiye begins here. “Ankara must deepen its strategic relations with Kazakhstan, strengthen the Central Corridor and maintain its leadership role within the Organization of Turkic States.”
MICRO DIPLOMACY
“As the observer status and visibility of the TRNC increases within the Turkish world, the Greek administration can carry out a more active diplomacy in the Central Asian capitals to balance this process. The third is Türkiye’s Eurasian strategy. The line that Ankara has built through the Central Corridor, energy security, defense cooperation and the Organization of Turkish States can be moved to a more competitive ground with the EU-supported diplomatic initiatives of the Greek Cypriot administration. Political scientists describe this development as ‘micro diplomacy of the multipolar world’.”
IT WILL INCREASE THE VOLTAGE
“Energy resources around the island of Cyprus, maritime jurisdictions, Türkiye’s continental shelf theses, the rights of the TRNC and the lobbying power of the Greece-Greek Cypriot axis within the European Union have been among the main topics of regional tension for a long time. “The Greek administration will want to open diplomatic support for its position in the Eastern Mediterranean by deepening its relations with a country such as Kazakhstan, which is energy-rich and centrally located in Eurasian connections.”
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