France and Cyprus sign Status of Forces Agreement

On June 8, French Minister of Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin and Cypriot Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). This bilateral accord establishes a legal framework for the presence of French military personnel in Cyprus, specifically facilitating humanitarian operations and emergency civilian evacuations in the Levant. France has explicitly rejected Turkish criticisms, which characterized the pact as a move toward establishing a permanent military base. French diplomatic sources clarified that the agreement is a technical necessity, as Cyprus is not a NATO member and therefore lacks the multilateral structures to govern such military cooperation. The framework simplifies logistics for French military stopovers, overflights, and deployments, citing the previous use of Cyprus in June 2025 for evacuating citizens from Israel. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler has publicly opposed the agreement, labeling it a violation of international law. Conversely, Paris maintains that the pact adheres to standard legal procedures for bilateral military cooperation outside of the NATO alliance.