Cyprus should not be on the list of countries not getting US arms

In 1987, the US Department of State placed the Republic of Cyprus on a list of countries to which sales and transfers of defense articles and services is prohibited under the International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The reason for the prohibition has never been clear. However, it appears to have been imposed in the erroneous belief that it would somehow encourage Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to resolve the nearly 45-year division of the territory of Cyprus.

In December 2018, members of Congress (including this commentary's co-author) sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in which the Department of State was urged to remove Cyprus from the ITAR list. The members asserted Cyprus should never have been placed on the ITAR list because Cyprus does not and never did fall within any of the ITAR categories which warrant the prohibition. They also asserted the...