Turkish unarmed aerial vehicles and combat drones are in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to protect it from all sides, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, Turkish daily Hurriyet reports.
Speaking to reporters on the plane, on his way back from the European Political Community summit in Prague, Erdoğan said:
“Because we need to secure northern Cyprus from all sides, from all aspects. Whether it (the base) is (set up) or not, our jets will immediately be in northern Cyprus as soon as they take off from our mainland.
“For a permanent solution, the facts on the island must be accepted“, he added.
Turkey has strongly condemned the decision by the US to lift the arms embargo on Greek Cyprus, warning that it would lead to an arms race and undermine regional stability.
