Big Picture: Modi's Cyprus Pivot Is a Direct Strategic Signal to Ankara
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Cyprus this week was a carefully planned geopolitical signal — directed squarely at Ankara — and part of India’s evolving playbook to push back against Turkey’s persistent interference in South Asian affairs.
By stating India’s unequivocal support for Cyprus’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity, Modi delivered a sharp message to Turkey, whose illegal occupation of Northern Cyprus since 1974 remains a glaring violation of international law.
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| Image Source: PM NaMo on X |
Modi’s walk along the UN-monitored Green Line in Nicosia, with the Turkish flag of the self-declared Northern Cyprus in the backdrop, was deliberate symbolism, aimed at exposing Ankara’s hypocrisy on sovereignty while it routinely lectures India on Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of the world's largest democracy.
Under President Erdogan, Turkey has steadily inserted itself into South Asian geopolitics. It has aligned itself closely with Pakistan and repeatedly internationalising the Kashmir issue at global forums, from the UN to the OIC.
Ankara’s open support to Islamabad during Operation Sindoor — India’s decisive military response following the Pahalgam terror attack on Indian soil — further exposed Turkey’s growing role as Pakistan’s diplomatic and military patron.
🇨🇾🇮🇳 Με τη σημερινή επίσκεψη-ορόσημο του Πρωθυπουργού @narendramodi, η συνεργασία Κύπρου–Ινδίας τροφοδοτείται με νέα, στρατηγικής αξίας και σημασίας δυναμική, βασισμένη σε ακλόνητα θεμέλια αξιών και προσανατολισμένη σε στέρεους στόχους προς ουσιαστικό όφελος των λαών μας, των… pic.twitter.com/NW9IaPQ5rv
— Προεδρία της ΚΔ (@CYpresidency) June 16, 2025
Modi’s Cyprus visit fits squarely into India’s expanding counter-strategy: a quiet, but firm alignment with Turkey’s regional adversaries — Greece, Armenia, Egypt, and now Cyprus.
Each new engagement will strengthen India’s position across West Asia and the Mediterranean, while steadily boxing Ankara into a shrinking geopolitical space. These partnerships are being built on converging security, economic, and strategic interests.
Unlike Turkey’s increasingly provocative alignment with Pakistan — which rests on a shared revisionist agenda — Cyprus has consistently supported India on critical global issues, including its bid for permanent membership at the UN Security Council.
The joint statement issued during Modi’s visit left little doubts: both nations oppose unilateral actions that threaten regional stability — a clear-cut rebuke to Turkey’s continued occupation of Northern Cyprus.
India looks forward to deepening friendship with Cyprus!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 15, 2025
Here are highlights from the welcome today… pic.twitter.com/JOU7lzF9EJ
Beyond symbolism, Cyprus is emerging as a crucial node in India’s long-term strategic calculus. Its position within the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), its upcoming EU Council presidency, and its role in regional energy diplomacy offer India new avenues of influence into Europe’s southern flank — at Turkey’s expense.
Erdogan’s ambitions to project himself as the pan-Islamic leader — often attempting to cast India’s internal matters into global religious narratives — are increasingly finding fewer takers beyond his narrow circle of allies. New Delhi, through a combination of quiet diplomacy and visible strategic moves like Modi’s Cyprus tour, is systematically undercutting Turkey’s space to manoeuvre.
PM Modi "LANDS" in Cyprus
— Daily Kishtwar Times (@kishtwartimes1) June 15, 2025
Cyprus President @Christodulides Posts, Welcome to Cyprus Prime Minister @narendramodi!@PMOIndia @HCI_Nicosia#IndiaCyprusTies pic.twitter.com/CjmQe0XjKb
The message from New Delhi is clear and timely: if Turkey chooses to challenge India’s sovereignty from thousands of miles away, India is prepared to engage decisively in Ankara’s own neighborhood — and do so by building durable partnerships that carry both diplomatic weight and strategic consequence.
(Saket Suman is the author of The Psychology of a Patriot. Among other roles, he was a Special Correspondent at The Times of India and the head of Arts/Books/Culture verticals of what was India's largest independent newswire.)
(Views Expressed Are Author's Own and Do Not Reflect The Views of This News Outlet)