No. 98

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On November 29, 2023, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger passed away at age 100, ending a long and controversial career in U.S. foreign policy. As the United States and the rest of the world reflects on his legacy, Kissinger’s failure in U.S.-Cypriot relations must be remembered for all the hardship and suffering it caused, the effects of which continue to be felt to this day.

From his involvement in carpet-bombing Cambodia to his repeated support for coups and dictators, Kissinger had an extensive history of foreign policy decisions that faced criticism for being both unethical and ineffective at securing the long-term interests of the United States. Many of these decisions have also been criticized for being anti-democratic and damaging to the rules-based international order.

One such policy was to support Turkey’s invasion and occupation of the Republic of Cyprus in 1974, in which Turkey violated international law and forcibly displaced thousands of rightful owners from their property. This created an international crisis that still has yet to be resolved, as Turkey continues to unlawfully occupy over one-third of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

When faced with the choice of deciding whether or not the U.S. should allow the invasion to occur, Kissinger argued that “The Turkish tactics are right—grab what they want and then negotiate on the basis of possession” because “There is no American reason why the Turks should not have one-third of Cyprus.”

Kissinger miscalculated.

It is abundantly clear that Kissinger should have acted to prevent the Turkish invasion and occupation in 1974, rather than support it. Doing so not only would have prevented the death, injury, and displacement of innocent civilians, but would have also allowed the long-term regional interests of the U.S. in the East Mediterranean to be achieved easier and safeguarded better. History will remember that Kissinger’s failure to protect the Republic of Cyprus was also a failure to protect U.S. interests.
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The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit Greek American public policy center and think tank that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.

For additional information, please contact us at (561) 529-0306 or [email protected]. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at http://www.ahiworld.org.