French rethink on Turkey air defence deal to be closely watched in Cyprus

A reported shift in France’s position on the possible sale of advanced SAMP/T air defence systems to Turkey is likely to attract close attention in Cyprus, amid deepening defence ties between Nicosia and Paris and broader efforts by the European Union to strengthen its security architecture.

According to a Reuters report published on Monday, and ahead of this week’s Nato summit in Ankara with defence industry and investment heading the agenda, France is now open to the possibility of selling...