Turkiye may build naval base in northern Cyprus ‘if necessary’, says Erdogan

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said that Ankara is ready to build a naval base in northern Cyprus, seemingly in response to Greece’s own aims to support a naval base on the southern side of the island. According to the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency, Erdogan stated on Sunday that “If necessary, we can construct a base and naval structures in the north” of Cyprus. His comment came a day after he visited northern Cyprus on Saturday to attend a military parade in the capital, North Nicosia. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the Turkish military’s intervention on the island in 1974, when Turkish forces captured over a third of Cyprus to prevent further violence against Cypriot Turks by […]