NEW DELHI: Cyprus has shown a strong desire to acquire BrahMos cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from India, following Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides’ recent visit to New Delhi. This potential acquisition has already raised concerns within Turkey’s strategic and security circles.
Cyprus’ Defence Interests
Besides BrahMos, Cyprus is also interested in procuring India’s kamikaze drones, such as Nagastra-1 and Skystriker. If these defence deals are finalized, they would mark a major strategic setback for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, given Ankara’s decades-long occupation of northern Cyprus. Furthermore, these agreements would represent the first deployment of Indian-made weapons systems in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Strained India-Turkey Relations
Turkey’s covert dispatch of hundreds of drones to Pakistan during the peak of the May 2025 Indo-Pak conflict, along with its repeated controversial remarks on Kashmir on various platforms, had already created a rift between New Delhi and Ankara. Defence analysts in Ankara fear that deploying supersonic missiles or kamikaze drones in the Mediterranean could fundamentally shift the regional military balance and threaten Turkey’s security.
Global Implications
Countries around the world have witnessed how India used BrahMos missiles to destroy key Pakistani military bases during the May conflict. Some reports suggest that the possible BrahMos purchase by Cyprus would be part of a defence package of about EUR 1.2 billion allocated to the Greek Cypriot administration under the European Union’s SAFE program.
Bilateral Defence Cooperation
During Christodoulides’ visit, Prime Minister Modi and the President welcomed the conclusion of the roadmap for Bilateral Defence Cooperation (2026–2031) between the defence ministries. They underscored the potential for significant cooperation in the defence sector and also welcomed the signing of the technical arrangement for the establishment of official coordination and cooperation on Search and Rescue (SAR) matters. These developments will provide an institutional framework for promoting defence industrial cooperation and technology partnership, building on the momentum of the India-EU Defence and Security Partnership signed on January 27, 2026, as well as facilitate exchanges, training, and capacity building.
