United States Senator Rick Scott blamed Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the division of Cyprus on Friday, after touring the UN buffer zone in Nicosia.
Scott, a Florida Republican who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the remarks in a video recorded in the buffer zone, which cuts across the Republic of Cyprus and separates its government-controlled areas from those under illegal Turkish occupation since 1974. The video circulated on X.
His comments come as Washington increases its energy presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Cyprus is a partner in regional electricity and gas projects.
“This is all caused by Turkey and Erdogan,” Scott said. “It’s an invasion. It’s an invasion of their sovereignty. This should be one country, completely independent.”
Rick Scott on Turkey
The senator also questioned Turkey’s conduct as a NATO member. “Why don’t they act like an ally? Act like an ally. Treat other sovereign nations with respect,” he said.
Scott added that “Cyprus needs to come together” and said the island did not need a buffer zone. Instead, he said, the people of Cyprus should be allowed to make their own decisions.
In a statement from his Senate office, Scott said the principal obstacle to Cypriot sovereignty was Turkey. He also said there would be no progress “until Erdogan and his regime decide to support their NATO obligations.”
Energy talks in Larnaca
During the visit, Scott met US Ambassador to Cyprus John Breslow and Cypriot Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Michael Damianos. Their talks covered growing energy links between Europe and the Middle East, his office said, and Cyprus News Agency reported the meeting focused on energy cooperation.
By comparison, Breslow said last month that the US “remains steadfast in its support of a Cypriot-led, United Nations-facilitated solution to the island’s division”, the Cyprus Mail reported.
Scott previously visited Athens in 2023, when he met Greece’s defence minister and military chief.
Source: Cyprus Mail
