Reports in several Turkish newspapers suggest that Turkey is seriously considering deploying F-16 fighter jets to the occupied territories of Cyprus, framing the move as a “response” to Greek actions on the island.
The newspaper Türkiye claims Ankara is studying the dispatch of combat aircraft for the “security” of the pseudo-state, noting that Greece has sent frigates and fighter jets to southern Cyprus following the latest developments in the Middle East.
Milliyet is more specific, reporting that the Turkish military is examining a plan to deploy four F-16s at the illegal Tymbou airport as the first phase of a phased plan.
Similar reports appear in Aydınlık, Akşam, Posta, Nefes and Cumhuriyet, citing sources from the Turkish Ministry of Defence. According to these sources, phased security plans are being drawn up in the context of recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.
