Türkiye has deployed six F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems to Turkish Cyprus as part of a plan to reinforce the territory’s security, the Defense Ministry said on March 9, citing heightened tensions in the region.
In a written statement, the ministry said the deployment began earlier in the day and forms part of a phased military planning process aimed at strengthening defensive capabilities in the divided island's northern region.
Officials said the measures could be expanded depending on further assessments of regional developments.
The move comes as security dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean have grown increasingly complex amid the broader Middle East crisis and a series of recent military activities involving Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration.
Greek and Greek Cypriot media reported that two Greek S-class frigates, Kimon and Psara, recently arrived in waters controlled by the southern administration. The vessels are reportedly equipped with anti-drone systems and are expected to support local defense capabilities.
Reports also said four Greek F-16 fighter jets have been stationed at an air base in the coastal city of Paphos.
Ankara has also recently warned against potential Greek plans to expand military deployments on islands in the Aegean Sea whose demilitarized status has long been a source of dispute between the two NATO allies.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said any military steps taken in violation of international agreements governing the islands "would have no legal validity" for Türkiye.
His remarks followed Greek media reports suggesting Athens is considering deploying Patriot air defense systems to the islands of Karpathos and Lemnos.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron was due in Greek Cyprus on March 9 for talks with his counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The meeting, planned in Paphos, was expected to focus on security cooperation and the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, according to the French presidency.
Tensions around the island have also been fueled by increased Western military activity at British facilities in Greek Cyprus. The Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri has served as a key logistical hub for operations linked to the Middle East in recent years.
The Cyprus dispute has persisted for decades, despite multiple U.N.-led initiatives. The island’s north is recognized only by Ankara, and a 2004 U.N. reunification plan was rejected by Greek Cypriot voters. Negotiations collapsed in 2017 and have not since resumed.
The deployment comes amid escalating conflict in the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran beginning Feb. 28, triggering retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran across Israel and several Gulf states hosting U.S. forces.
