Erdoğan: North Cyprus needs to be protected from all sides
ARMED and unarmed Turkish-made drones are stationed in North Cyprus to “protect it from all sides”, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in remarks published last Friday.
Mr Erdogan was speaking to reporters who were invited to fly back with him as he returned to Turkey from the European Political Community (EPC) meeting in the Czech capital Prague.
Asked whether there is a plan to set up a Turkish military base in the Karpaz peninsula in the north-east of the TRNC, Mr Erdoğan said that Turkish drones may also be sent there for the security of the TRNC.
He added: “Whether it [a base] is [set up] or not, our jets will immediately be in Northern Cyprus as soon as they take off from our mainland.”
Last Thursday Mr Erdoğan held a wide-ranging press conference following the EPC meeting, during which he also talked about Cyprus.
He said that while “many European leaders” praised Turkey for its “mediatory and facilitative role” in the Russia-Ukraine war, “some EU-member countries choose to increase tension and provocations instead of cooperation and good neighbourly relations” with Turkey, in comments apparently aimed at Greece and South Cyprus.
Mr Erdoğan said that Turkey “does not have an eye on any country’s land, sovereignty, or rights” and that “all we do is work to defend the interests of our country and the Turkish Cypriots”.
“We do not want tension with anyone, or with any of our neighbours,” he stressed.
Pointing to Turkey’s desire to resolve problems in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean in line with international law, President Erdoğan continued: “I expect the European Union to call on our counterparts to dialogue at a bilateral level rather than supporting unjust and unlawful initiatives under the pretext of ‘union solidarity’.
“The only key to solution in Cyprus is the acknowledgement of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people.
“The realities on the island should be accepted for a lasting solution. . . Let me note that as Türkiye [Turkey] we want to enhance our relations with European countries, and stand ready for cooperation in advancing our membership process.”
CHAT WITH ANASTASIADES
On the sidelines of the EPC meeting Mr Erdoğan also had an encounter with the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades.
The two were photographed shaking hands and having a “brief chat”. Greek Cypriot media reports
said that Mr Anastasiades told Mr Erdoğan that Cyprus talks should resume, but that Mr Erdoğan had reportedly said that it was not the “right time” to discuss the matter, particularly as Mr Anastasiades will no longer be in office following Greek Cypriot leadership elections in January.
Mr Erdoğan told reporters that Mr Anastasiades had insisted on the two having a meeting and that it appeared he had been “put up by someone” to make the request.
Mr Erdoğan said he told Mr Anastasiades that “you’re going anyway” and that “this can’t be discussed at a time like this”.
It is the second time in recent months that the pair have had an informal discussion. In June the two men were seen chatting at a summit in Madrid for Nato and EU leaders, along with the French President Emmanuel Macron.
Reports at the time said that Mr Macron had offered to host a meeting in Paris, an offer declined by Mr Erdoğan who said they should meet in North Cyprus.