Israel-Europe Billion-Dollar Power Link Stalled by Regional Feud

Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos has accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of using “hypocritical and provocative” language on Gaza, while claiming that Ankara is also working to derail a major energy link between Israel, Cyprus and Europe.

In an on-camera interview with News Outlet on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Kombos said Turkey had issued threats and taken action against Cyprus, particularly within the island’s exclusive economic zone.

He cited the Great Sea Interconnector, a proposed undersea power cable that would run from Israel to Cyprus and then onward to Greece, connecting Cyprus with the wider European electricity network.

Kombos said Turkey had blocked the Greece-Cyprus-Israel electricity project because of what he described as Ankara’s “illegal claims” over the boundaries of maritime economic zones in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Valued at approximately €1.9 billion, the Great Sea Interconnector is expected to transmit as much as 1,000 megawatts through more than 1,200 kilometers of subsea cable. The European Union has pledged €657 million for the Cyprus-Crete segment, which is intended to connect Cyprus to Europe’s power grid and eventually provide Israel with a more direct route into the European electricity market.

The ambitious project has already encountered funding setbacks, while long-standing disputes between Greece and Turkey over maritime boundaries have added another layer of geopolitical uncertainty.

“The future of our people cannot be shaped by someone who challenges the foundations and rules of international law,” Kombos said.

The same regional tensions influenced Kombos’ reaction to Erdoğan’s address before the U.N. General Assembly.

Kombos said he and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides chose to remain in the chamber for the Turkish leader’s speech, even as they viewed its message as “hypocritical and provocative.”

He argued that Erdoğan’s invocation of the U.N. Charter conflicted with Turkey’s actions and policies regarding divided Cyprus.

“It is an ongoing violation, an act of aggression, invasion and occupation,” Kombos said. In his view, Cyprus represents a clear example of the gap between political rhetoric and actual conduct.

During his Sept. 22 U.N. speech, Erdoğan launched a forceful denunciation of Israel, accusing its government of refusing to end what he called an “occupation.” He described Gaza as “the most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time” and accused Israel of harboring a “genocidal mindset.” Israel has consistently denied allegations that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide.

Cyprus has remained divided since 1974. A coup supported by Greece’s military junta was followed by a Turkish military intervention, leaving the island partitioned. The internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus governs the south, while Turkish Cypriots, backed by Turkey, administer the northern third. The self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognized only by Ankara, and U.N. peacekeepers patrol the buffer zone separating the two communities.

Repeated attempts to reunify Cyprus have failed to produce a lasting agreement. U.N.-supported negotiations have generally focused on creating a bizonal, bicommunal federation, while Turkey has increasingly promoted the alternative of two separate states.

Kombos said Nicosia remains ready to restart negotiations from the point where they collapsed in 2017. However, he maintained that meaningful progress will depend largely on Ankara’s position.

“We need Turkey to give the green light to the Turkish Cypriot leadership,” Kombos said. He added that a two-state settlement would contradict decisions adopted by the United Nations and its Security Council.

The United Nations has recently intensified efforts to revive the stalled peace process. Secretary-General António Guterres visited Cyprus from July 28-29, holding separate and joint meetings with Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman as he sought to move the sides toward a “comprehensive and sustainable settlement.”

Kombos also raised concern over the possibility of Turkey obtaining U.S. F-35 fighter jets.

“This is something that is of concern to us, of course, as well as to other countries in the region,” he said. “We cannot just accept this as the usual day at the office. This is something that’s important. It’s upsetting regional balances.”

At the same time, Cyprus has moved significantly closer to Washington.

Kombos said the U.S.-Cyprus relationship is “probably right now at the highest level we have ever been,” pointing to strategic dialogue, military cooperation, joint exercises and work to make Cypriot facilities compatible with assets used by the US and NATO partners.

Earlier this month, Washington renewed Cyprus’ exemption from U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations restrictions for fiscal year 2027, allowing transfers of US defense articles and services. Cyprus is also eligible for US Foreign Military Sales and the Excess Defense Articles program.

“We want to make sure that we are an active, useful partner in the international system,” Kombos said, arguing that Cyprus’ location and close ties with Israel, Gulf states, Europe and the US give it an increasingly important regional role.