Politics
Türkiye defends ‘legitimate’ security steps in Turkish Cyprus amid Iran war
Türkiye on Thursday defended what it called “legitimate” security measures in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), including the deployment of fighter jets and air defense systems, citing growing regional risks stemming from the war involving Iran.
In a weekly briefing in Ankara, the Defense Ministry officials said the steps, which include stationing six F-16 fighter jets on the island, are aimed at strengthening deterrence and protecting airspace in the Eastern Mediterranean as missile and drone threats rise following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Officials said the additional measures would contribute not only to the security of the TRNC but to the stability of the entire island.
“The security of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the preservation of peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean are of strategic importance for Türkiye, and our position on this issue is clear and unchanged,” they said.
The island of Cyprus has been directly affected by retaliatory attacks following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, with an Iranian-made drone hitting a British base on the island last week.
Authorities in the Greek Cypriot administration said the drone was likely launched by Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon rather than directly from Iran.
The island remains divided between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot administration in the south, an EU member not recognized by guarantor Türkiye.
Following the incident, several European countries pledged to send air defenses and other military assets to southern Cyprus, with France ordering the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean, along with a frigate and air defense units to the island.
Turkish officials said the presence of additional foreign military assets in the region further underscored the legitimacy of Ankara’s actions.
“Türkiye is a guarantor country in Cyprus. In an environment where some countries that are not guarantors are deploying military elements to the island and the Eastern Mediterranean, the measures taken by Türkiye are extremely legitimate, appropriate and part of a balanced security approach,” ministry sources said.
“Türkiye is sufficient for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”
There is also unease on the Turkish side over the Greek Cypriot administration’s expanding military cooperation with Western partners, particularly after the United Kingdom allowed the United States to use its military facilities on the southern part of the island.
British installations, including the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri, have played a key logistical role in Western operations in the Middle East in recent years.
Despite decades of diplomatic efforts by the U.N., the island of Cyprus has remained divided for more than 50 years. The TRNC was established in 1983 and is recognized only by Türkiye.
“Türkiye acts with an understanding that protects peace and stability rather than escalating tensions in the region,” ministry officials said. “The security of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is our security concern.”
They added that Ankara would not allow any hostile actions targeting the rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots and would not hesitate to use the authorities granted by its guarantor status if necessary.
Patriot system
The ministry also addressed recent developments related to air defense measures in southeastern Türkiye.
Türkiye said Monday that NATO air defenses intercepted a second ballistic missile fired from Iran that entered Turkish airspace, marking the second such incident in a week.
Ankara warned that it would take any necessary steps against threats.
In response to the evolving security situation, officials said consultations with NATO allies had been activated.
“In addition to the national measures we have taken to ensure the security of our airspace and citizens, consultation mechanisms with our NATO allies have been effectively activated,” ministry sources said.
“As part of this framework, a Patriot system assigned by NATO Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany, is being deployed to Malatya as a complementary element of the air defense architecture.”
It remained unclear where the missile was headed before it was intercepted by NATO defenses stationed in the eastern Mediterranean.
U.S. air forces are stationed at the Incirlik base in southern Türkiye, and a NATO radar installation in Malatya province provides early warning capabilities for the alliance.
Fragments from the intercepted missile fell in empty fields in Gaziantep, located between the two facilities, authorities said.
Ankara has said Washington did not use Incirlik in the air campaign carried out alongside Israel against Iran.
Iran has not commented on the incident but has repeatedly stated it is not at war with regional countries and does not explicitly target Türkiye.
Officials also stressed that NATO remains committed to protecting allied territories.
“NATO is a security alliance with the will to defend the airspace and territory of its member states,” ministry sources said.
“Türkiye, with its geostrategic location, strong armed forces and critical role on NATO’s southeastern flank, is one of the most important elements of this structure.”
They said recent steps were aimed at reinforcing collective defense and deterrence.
“These measures are intended to strengthen the common security of both Türkiye and NATO in line with the alliance’s principles of defense, deterrence and allied solidarity,” the sources added.
Incirlik remains Turkish base
The ministry also emphasized that Incirlik Air Base remains under Turkish sovereignty.
“Incirlik is a Turkish base,” officials said, noting that the 10th Main Jet Base Command, which operates under the Turkish Air Force’s Combat Air Forces Command in Eskişehir, is stationed there.
The base hosts Türkiye’s F-16 fleet, tanker aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles, and all facilities belong to the Republic of Türkiye, the ministry said.
The base commander is a Turkish brigadier general.
“The presence of American personnel there does not mean it is an American base,” officials said, adding that military personnel from Spain, Poland and Qatar are also present.
Air defense decisions
Officials also addressed questions about why Türkiye’s Russian-made S-400 air defense systems were not used during the missile incident.
They said the country’s air and missile defense operations are conducted through a multilayered structure based on threat assessments and operational requirements.
“In this framework, the most appropriate defense element is determined by considering the rules of engagement and the current operational picture,” the ministry said.
Türkiye is integrated into NATO’s air and missile defense system, which consists of early warning sensors, command and control networks and interceptor missiles.
“When a ballistic missile is detected, the system automatically selects and activates the fastest and most suitable interception asset due to the very short response time required,” officials said.
Cemil Tugay, mayor of Türkiye’s third-largest city, Izmir, joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Wednesday in a landmark move for the party, which has failed to win the city for years.
The AK Party portrayed the move as ushering in a new era for the Aegean city, which has been beset by chronic problems for years, with a video showing flowers blossoming over mountains of garbage as it announced Tugay’s switch.
Expectations are high following the switch, given the successful track record of AK Party-run municipalities in public services. Locals hope the new era will turn around the fortunes of a city grappling with pollution in the Gulf of Izmir, uncollected garbage, infrastructure shortcomings and transportation problems.
Tugay pledged that “good things are in store” for Izmir after joining the party. The mayor had been serving as an independent after resigning from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which has dominated municipal elections in Izmir for the past two decades.
Izmir has been under the spotlight since the 2024 local elections, particularly over strikes by workers and civil servants at district municipalities, from Karabağlar, Konak and Karşıyaka to Buca and Bayraklı. Delays in salary payments since the 2024 vote led to strikes whose impact was most visible in uncollected garbage piling up on the streets and threatening public health.
The garbage problem is the first emergency, and the municipality is expected to shut down a landfill in the Çiğli district and build new solid waste disposal facilities.
Second, severe sanctions are expected against businesses and individuals polluting the Gulf of Izmir, which has suffered mass fish deaths. A wastewater treatment plant that has been left to deteriorate will undergo a major renovation. This is expected to help the city tackle the nightmarish stench that engulfs Izmir, particularly in the summer.
Another issue requiring attention is urban transformation, including the demolition and renewal of decaying housing projects. Amid a corruption scandal involving the construction of new housing projects, Tugay’s predecessor, Tunç Soyer, was arrested last year, while some housing projects have remained incomplete for the past five years. Under the new administration, urban transformation projects are expected to be accelerated, particularly for low-income families.
The municipality is also expected to launch a drive to renew roads across Izmir, many of which have become riddled with potholes due to inadequate maintenance.
In terms of transportation, new projects are underway, including the construction of a new bypass and increased investment in railway systems.
Bilal Saygılı, chairperson of the AK Party’s Izmir branch, said they would work in coordination with Tugay to resolve the city’s problems. Yaşar Kırkpınar, an AK Party lawmaker from Izmir, described Tugay’s switch as a turning point for Izmir’s future and public services.
Ceyda Bölünmez Çankırı, another AK Party lawmaker from Izmir, said the city had longed for “real municipal services for years” and that they would work hard to deliver them to residents under Tugay’s leadership.
Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides are set to meet on Oct. 13 in the United Nations-controlled buffer zone on the divided island of Cyprus, according to reports Wednesday.
The meeting between the leaders of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot administration is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. local time and is expected to focus on efforts surrounding the Cyprus issue and confidence-building measures.
The two leaders last met on Sept. 17 at the office of the U.N. Good Offices Mission in the buffer zone. Their closed-door talks, which began at 11 a.m., lasted approximately two hours.
Following the meeting, the U.N. said Erhürman and Christodoulides had exchanged views on confidence-building measures, methodology and substantive aspects of the Cyprus issue.
Erhürman said after the talks that the two sides had yet to reach an agreement on confidence-building measures.
“On the remaining substantive issues, the two sides are only at the stage of listening to each other’s thoughts and views. That is the clear picture,” he said, noting that the meeting was “better” than their previous talks but that the sides remained at the stage of listening to each other’s positions on substantive issues.
He also stressed that concrete progress on the island would be necessary before another meeting could be held in an expanded format.
Erhürman and Christodoulides later traveled to New York for the U.N. General Assembly following their Sept. 17 meeting. The two leaders did not hold a bilateral meeting during their time in New York, although talks were held between their respective delegations.
Cyprus has remained divided for more than five decades between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement. The TRNC was established in 1983 and is recognized only by Türkiye, while the Greek Cypriot administration represents the island internationally and joined the European Union in 2004.
Turkish officials and leaders in Turkish Cyprus have increasingly advocated a two-state solution to the dispute, arguing that decades of United Nations-led negotiations for a federal settlement have failed to produce results.
The upcoming Oct. 13 meeting comes as efforts continue to find common ground between the two sides and determine the next steps in the long-running Cyprus issue.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Türkiye remains ready to support efforts to establish direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine, stressing the importance of diplomacy aimed at finding a solution to the war.
Erdoğan and Putin discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues during a phone call, Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said in a statement.
During the call, Erdoğan emphasized the importance of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.
He said Türkiye was always ready to contribute to initiatives aimed at establishing direct contacts between Moscow and Kyiv and underlined the importance of solution-oriented diplomatic efforts, according to the statement.
The two leaders also discussed Türkiye-Russia relations and other regional and international developments, the directorate said, without providing further details.
Erdoğan also congratulated Putin on his birthday and on his party’s performance in Russia’s Duma elections.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has alleged that vehicles, equipment and other assets worth more than TL 250 million (approximately $5.1 million) were reported to have been removed or gone missing from its provincial and district offices during the formation of the New Party (YP).
The alleged losses followed a court ruling declaring the CHP’s leadership election legally invalid, triggering a period of internal turmoil and disputes over party property.
According to findings cited by CHP officials, the vehicles and equipment were allegedly taken from party offices across Türkiye’s 81 provinces, Sabah newspaper reported.
Individual criminal complaints have been filed with prosecutors under the coordination of CHP Deputy Chair Tahsin Tarhan, seeking investigations into the missing assets.
The allegations also involve seven district headquarters previously rented by the CHP. Rental agreements were reportedly changed following arrangements with property owners, allowing the buildings to be transferred to the New Party without the CHP leadership’s knowledge.
The affected districts reportedly include Akyurt and Altındağ in Ankara.
A court ruling in a case concerning alleged irregularities at the CHP’s November 2023 convention declared the congress null and void and reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the previous party administration.
In late July, following escalating tensions within the party, Özel and 90 lawmakers resigned from the CHP and established the New Party.
Meanwhile, several missing CHP vehicles were reportedly located in industrial repair facilities and scrapyards. Party officials alleged that many returned vehicles had been deliberately damaged, potentially requiring millions of liras in repairs.
The whereabouts of office furniture, computers, sound systems and air conditioning units remain unknown.
CHP officials further alleged that equipment belonging to the party had been transferred to newly established New Party offices.
Turkish defense companies showcased advanced underwater systems, sonar technologies and unmanned maritime platforms in the western province of Izmir as part of the Türkiye-hosted Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise.
The exhibition at the Port of Alsancak brought together 16 defense companies presenting technologies for underwater operations and mine countermeasures to Turkish and foreign military representatives participating in the exercise.
The Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise is being held from Oct. 6-16 in the Gulf of Izmir and off the coast of Karadeniz Ereğli. Alongside Turkish forces, the exercise includes units from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) and the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea).
Havelsan presented a remotely operated underwater vehicle developed with the company’s own resources that can operate at depths of up to 300 meters (985 feet).
Zekiye Bilinç Serintuna, Havelsan’s underwater systems group leader, said the platform is equipped with sensors and systems enabling navigation and precise positioning. It can be used for military and civilian missions, including search and rescue, mine countermeasures, pipeline monitoring and ship hull inspections.
Meteksan Defense also showcased underwater acoustic technologies, including sonar systems developed for ships and submarines.
The company introduced two new products at Nusret-2026: the Submarine and Underwater Vehicle Detection System (SUVDES) and the National Synthetic Aperture Sonar System (MİLSAS).
SUVDES is designed for tasks including harbor security, protection of critical facilities and the detection of unmanned maritime vehicles.
State-owned defense manufacturer MKE, meanwhile, displayed several systems developed for naval warfare.
They included the Denizhan national naval gun, the Pirana kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle and the Malaman smart bottom mine, alongside infantry rifles used by naval forces.
A total of 20 ships, five aircraft and various unmanned systems are taking part in the exercise, which focuses on mine countermeasures and maritime operations.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi will be in Athens on Thursday. Ministry sources said Wednesday that the purpose of the visit was “cooperation in fighting against transboundary crime, terrorist groups and next-generation criminal gangs.”
He is scheduled to meet Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris and Minister for Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis. Çiftçi’s talks will focus on joint steps in the above-mentioned areas.
The Turkish and Greek officials will discuss extradition of members of criminal gangs and how to enhance cooperation in this area, ministry sources also said.
Çiftçi stepped up Türkiye’s contacts with neighboring countries in the joint fight against transboundary crimes and recently paid visits to Bulgaria and Georgia to this end.
The minister last visited Athens in April for a trilateral meeting with Plevris and Bulgarian Interior Minister Emil Dechev on security-related issues affecting the three neighboring countries.
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