Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that his country is ready to build a naval base in northern Cyprus if deemed necessary.
Erdoğan’s comment comes a day after his return from northern Cyprus, where he had been to mark Saturday’s 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of the Mediterranean island.
In 1974, Turkish forces invaded Cyprus, capturing more than a third of the island and displacing over 160,000 Greek Cypriots to the south. Since then, Cyprus has been divided into a Turkish Cypriot north, where more than 30,000 Turkish troops are stationed, and a Greek Cypriot south.
The Republic of Cyprus, represented by Greek Cypriots, has been an EU member since 2004, while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is only recognized by Ankara.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Erdoğan warned against actions that could escalate tensions in Cyprus and added that Turkey would not hesitate to build naval bases or other maritime structures in northern Cyprus if necessary.
“If necessary, we can construct a base and naval structures in the north,” Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency quoted him as saying.
Erdoğan also accused Greece of planning to establish its own naval base in Cyprus, contrasting the base that Turkey intends to build versus what he claims Greece is planning.
“We are constructing the presidency and parliament buildings of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). They are constructing a military base; we are building a political base,” he added.
No negotiations until both sides partake ‘as equals’
The president also ruled out resuming peace negotiations on Cyprus until both sides of the divided island engage in talks “as equals.”
On Sunday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote on social media that the continued division of Cyprus was “unthinkable” and expressed hope for the island’s reunification.
Multiple attempts to find a compromise settlement over the years have failed, the last one being in 2017 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Formal talks have not resumed since then.
In 1974, Turkish forces invaded Cyprus, capturing more than a third of the island and displacing over 160,000 Greek Cypriots to the south. Since then, Cyprus has been divided into a Turkish Cypriot north, where more than 30,000 Turkish troops are stationed, and a Greek Cypriot south.
The Republic of Cyprus, represented by Greek Cypriots, has been an EU member since 2004, while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is only recognized by Ankara.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Erdoğan warned against actions that could escalate tensions in Cyprus and added that Turkey would not hesitate to build naval bases or other maritime structures in northern Cyprus if necessary.
“If necessary, we can construct a base and naval structures in the north,” Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency quoted him as saying.
Erdoğan also accused Greece of planning to establish its own naval base in Cyprus, contrasting the base that Turkey intends to build versus what he claims Greece is planning.
“We are constructing the presidency and parliament buildings of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). They are constructing a military base; we are building a political base,” he added.
No negotiations until both sides partake ‘as equals’
The president also ruled out resuming peace negotiations on Cyprus until both sides of the divided island engage in talks “as equals.”
On Sunday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote on social media that the continued division of Cyprus was “unthinkable” and expressed hope for the island’s reunification.
Both the Turkish Cypriots and Ankara support a two-state solution, which the Greeks, who support unification in the form of a federation, do not agree with.Δεν αποδεχόμαστε τετελεσμένα και η επιδίωξή μας παραμένει μία: η Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία με μία κυριαρχία, μία διεθνή προσωπικότητα και μία ιθαγένεια σε μία Διζωνική Δικοινοτική Ομοσπονδία, σε ένα ενιαίο Κράτος όπου όλοι οι πολίτες θα είναι και Κύπριοι και Ευρωπαίοι. pic.twitter.com/h9MaHPB45r
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) July 20, 2024
Multiple attempts to find a compromise settlement over the years have failed, the last one being in 2017 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Formal talks have not resumed since then.
Source: Euractiv, Euronews, TVP World
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