Cyprus boosts defenses with 'Israeli' Barak MX radar over Turkey

'Israel' has finalized the transfer of advanced air defence technology to Cyprus, with the third and latest shipment arriving last week, according to sources familiar with the deal.

Footage circulated online on Thursday showed trucks carrying components of the Barak MX surface-to-air missile system through Limassol’s port. Cypriot news outlet Reporter later confirmed the system’s full delivery, adding that it is expected to become operational before the end of the year. The interceptor is capable of targeting threats up to 150km away, while its radar provides extended surveillance across a range of 460km.

The move has sparked debate due to comments by Shay Gal, vice president for external relations at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the firm behind the Barak MX. Writing in July, Gal argued that 'Israel' should rethink its stance on Cyprus, even suggesting a military plan to “liberate” the island’s north from Turkish control.

“Israel, in coordination with Greece and Cyprus, must prepare a contingency operation for liberating the island’s north,” he wrote. “Such an operation would neutralise Turkish reinforcement capabilities from the mainland, eliminate air-defence systems in northern Cyprus, destroy intelligence and command centres, and ultimately remove Turkish forces, restoring internationally recognised Cypriot sovereignty.”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey intervened following a coup backed by Greece. The Republic of Cyprus controls the south and is internationally recognized, while only Ankara acknowledges the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the north.

Ankara has so far refrained from commenting on the Barak MX deployment. Analysts, however, warn that the system’s reach into southern Turkey’s airspace could have far-reaching implications. “This is a system far more dangerous than the S-300, which [southern Cyprus] ordered from Russia in 1997 but never deployed,” said Turkish defence analyst Arda Mevlutoglu. He argued the radar’s intelligence-gathering functions could be integrated into Israel’s wider surveillance network in the eastern Mediterranean.

The memory of the 1997 crisis, when Cyprus’s plan to purchase Russian S-300s nearly led to war with Turkey, still looms large. That confrontation was defused only after Greece agreed to house the systems itself.

While Mevlutoglu described the Barak MX as a direct threat to Turkish military assets, Reporter cited sources suggesting Cyprus’s version may lack some of the system’s full advertised capabilities, as configurations vary by customer.

Reactions in Turkey have been sharp. Yanki Bagcioglu, a retired rear admiral and deputy leader of the opposition CHP, condemned the move as unlawful. “This step will destabilise the fragile balance in the eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus, while directly threatening Turkey’s national security,” he said.

Cyprus’s Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas pushed back on those claims, defending the acquisition. “Turkey continues to occupy the island,” he said on Tuesday. “Our primary duty is to protect ourselves.” Palmas also stressed that Cyprus’s arms decisions are made independently. “Any confrontation between Israel and Turkey does not concern us, except in the sense that we follow the geopolitical developments in our region.”

According to Turkish security sources, the systems are currently being tested at Paphos air base but have not yet entered active service. They added that Ankara is closely monitoring further shipments from 'Israel'.