Two European Parliament members, Geadis Geadi and Emmanouil Fragkos, have urged Elon Musk, head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, to investigate USAID's financial allocations to Cyprus for possible irregularities.
In their letter sent Tuesday, they cited reports indicating that USAID funneled tens of millions of dollars into initiatives designed to sway public opinion in favor of Cyprus' reunification. Given Musk's focus on identifying inefficiencies and corruption in federal agencies, they requested his department to review past USAID funding and disclose any findings of financial mismanagement or waste.
Requesting @elonmusk & @DOGE to inform us about US funds to individuals & NGOs in Cyprus (such as donkey protection), towards initiatives aimed at shaping public opinion in favour of the "Anan plan"@visegrad24 @HSajwanization @MarioNawfal @velopky pic.twitter.com/eoNHm69ZiV
— FRAGKOS EMMANOUIL FRAGKOULIS MEP🇬🇷 (@e_fragkos) February 18, 2025
According to the lawmakers, USAID played a significant financial role in supporting the Annan Plan, a proposal to unify Cyprus under a two-state system. They stated that the agency funneled funds through a U.N. program and other intermediaries to shape public opinion, including financing NGOs, media campaigns, and academic initiatives—actions that may have blurred ethical lines regarding foreign influence in democratic processes.
In the 2004 referendum, 65% of Turkish Cypriots voted in favor of the plan, while three-quarters of Greek Cypriots opposed it, as reported by The New York Times. The Guardian previously reported that Greek Cypriots were wary of the continued presence of Turkish troops in the island's northern region. A Greek political party also objected to the plan, arguing that the U.N. had failed to provide sufficient security assurances for reunification.
