By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu clashed with Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Chatzivasileiou over Cyprus during a European Union enlargement panel in Athens, after the Greek official described Türkiye's 1974 intervention as an illegal invasion and continuing occupation.
The exchange took place on July 8 at The Economist's 30th Annual Government Roundtable in Lagonisi, where political figures from Türkiye, Greece and other European countries discussed Europe's strategic future and EU enlargement.
Davutoğlu argued that responsibility for the unresolved Cyprus dispute could not be separated from the Greek Cypriot rejection of the United Nations-backed Annan Plan in 2004.
He also criticised the European Union for admitting the Republic of Cyprus before a comprehensive settlement had been reached.
Chatzivasileiou rejected that argument and said the central issue remained what Greece regards as Türkiye's illegal invasion and occupation of the northern part of the island since 1974.
He repeated the accusation after Davutoğlu defended Türkiye's military presence, drawing applause from parts of the audience, according to Greek media reports.
Cyprus compared with Ukraine
The dispute widened when Greek speakers compared Türkiye's role in Cyprus with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Davutoğlu rejected the comparison. He argued that Türkiye's intervention followed the breakdown of the island's constitutional order and was connected to the guarantor framework established under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee.
That interpretation reflects Türkiye's official position. Greece and the Republic of Cyprus reject it and maintain that the intervention and continued Turkish military presence violate international law.
Greek participants argued that Europe could not condemn violations of sovereignty in Ukraine while treating Cyprus differently.
The exchange placed the Cyprus dispute within a broader argument over territorial integrity, European consistency and the standards applied to candidate countries and member states.
Türkiye maintains that the 1974 intervention followed a Greek-backed coup aimed at union with Greece and was undertaken to protect the Turkish Cypriot community under the guarantor system.
Greek and Greek Cypriot authorities describe the intervention as an invasion and the continuing division of the island as an occupation.
No settlement has been reached despite decades of United Nations-led negotiations.
The Annan Plan dispute
Davutoğlu focused heavily on the 2004 Annan Plan, which proposed a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation and was submitted to separate referendums on both sides of the island.
Turkish Cypriots approved the plan, while Greek Cypriots rejected it.
The Republic of Cyprus entered the European Union days later, with EU law suspended in the northern part of the island.
Davutoğlu argued that admitting Cyprus without first resolving the dispute weakened incentives for compromise and allowed the Greek Cypriot-led government to enter the EU while claiming representation of the whole island.
Chatzivasileiou defended the accession decision and reiterated Greece's support for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation as the basis for a future settlement.
Europe cannot exclude Türkiye, Davutoğlu says
The Cyprus confrontation formed part of a wider speech in which Davutoğlu argued that Europe could not become a global strategic power without Türkiye.
He said Türkiye's position across the Black Sea, Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Gulf made it central to European security and foreign policy, echoing a wider debate previously examined by Bosphorus News over Greece's approach to Türkiye's role in EU affairs and NATO.
Davutoğlu also criticised the EU for seeking Türkiye's military and defence-industrial contribution while failing to advance visa liberalisation, economic integration and political equality.
"Türkiye can only accept an honourable and equal relationship," he said, according to a Turkish account of the speech.
He also accused European governments of applying their declared values selectively, citing their policies toward Gaza and Israel.
Davutoğlu was speaking as a former prime minister and leader of Türkiye's opposition Future Party, not on behalf of the Turkish government.
His arguments nevertheless closely followed Türkiye's official position on the 1974 intervention, the guarantor system and the Greek Cypriot rejection of the Annan Plan.
Sources: The Economist Government Roundtable; To Vima; Proto Thema; Karar; Independent Türkçe; Bosphorus News review and reporting.