Turkish President Discusses Potential Naval Base in TRNC

Over the weekend, Northern Cyprus marked the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation with significant celebrations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Grand National Assembly Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, and National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler attended the events in the TRNC. After returning from the island, President Erdoğan made several important statements regarding Cyprus, including a possible naval base in the TRNC.

“We can build a naval base and naval facilities in Northern Cyprus if necessary,” the Turkish President stated.

Previously, the Cypriot Defense Minister mentioned that the southern coast of the island could accommodate large ships from the European Union (EU) and other countries for various operations and missions, including humanitarian aid to Cyprus. The Minister also announced plans for constructing a major naval base in the unstable Middle East region.

President Erdoğan noted that construction is currently underway for the President's Building and the Parliament Building in Northern Cyprus.

“I believe there is nothing more important than these bases. They are building military bases; we are building political bases,” said the Turkish leader.

Erdoğan also reiterated Turkey’s plans for exploring the Eastern Mediterranean.

“For example, we are acquiring a new gas vessel. This floating gas platform will be used to extract gas from the Sakarya gas field. It will be delivered to Turkey in about two months. It is 300 meters long and 58 meters wide. This platform, which will produce enough natural gas for 5 million households, will remain there for 15-20 years. It’s almost like a base,” added Erdoğan.

Additionally, President Erdoğan emphasized that it is becoming increasingly clear that the “two-state model is the only solution to the Cyprus problem.”