Ankara does not have plans to build a naval base in the Turkish-held north of Cyprus, but the armed forces will increase its deployment of troops on the island, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
“No, we are not going to withdraw troops! I am sorry, we are not going to decrease the number of our troops there (Cyprus). We are going to increase them, not decrease them,” Erdogan told journalists on route from Azerbaijan to Turkey.
Turkey has around 35,000 troops stationed in the occupied northern third of the island.
The Turkish president also commented on recent media reports that Turkey’s armed forces proposed the creation of a naval base in the north of Cyprus.
“We don’t have a need for a base in the ‘TRNC’. Why would we? We are so close (to Cyprus), we can be there in a matter of minutes. But Greece is not so close. So that is why we do not need to build a base there,” said Erdogan on Sunday.
“So, we do not have a problem there. (Building a base) would only have a psychologic effect. From that point of view, we may build a base. Our presence there is important,” he added.
Erdogan blamed the Greek Cypriots for the lack of a reunification deal and for rejecting the UN-backed Annan plan.
The Annan plan was rejected by an overwhelming majority of Greek Cypriots but approved by Turkish Cypriots at a referendum in 2004.
“They (Greek Cypriots) do not listen; if they had listened, we would have solved this matter with Kofi Anan. We accepted everything in the Anan Plan, but they backed out.
“From now on, we will implement the prescription of our own,” Erdogan said.
Cypriot leaders, along with the representatives of the guarantor power, had talks aimed at reunifying the island’s 44-year division at United Nations-sponsored discussions, but that peace attempt failed at a Swiss summit in July 2017.
Talks broke down after Turkey insisted it would not withdraw its troops from the island and wanted to retain intervention rights on Cyprus.
Peace negotiations have remained in limbo since then.
The island has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied the north after a Greek-inspired coup that aimed at joining Cyprus with Greece.
The ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ – unilaterally declared on November 15, 1983 – is only recognised by Turkey.
