site.btaTurkiye Deploys Six F-16s to Northern Cyprus

Turkiye deployed six F-16 fighter jets and air defence systems to Northern Cyprus, the Ministry of Defence of Turkiye said on Monday.

The ministry said the deployment followed recent regional developments and was part of a phased plan to bolster security in Northern Cyprus. It added that further measures will be taken if needed, depending on how events develop and the situation assessment.

Turkiye sent six fighter jets instead of the four initially planned for deployment at Ercan airport in the Turkish Cypriot north. The move came against the backdrop of the continuing conflict in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran, and after Cyprus was hit by Iranian drones launched from Lebanon.

Greece, for its part, sent four F-16 fighter jets to Paphos Airport, while several other European countries, including France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, sent or are set to send military assets to the area.

Cyprus has moved closer to the front line of the wider Middle East conflict after missiles were launched toward the island, a drone struck the British RAF Akrotiri base, and another Iranian ballistic missile intercepted over Turkish airspace was described by a senior Turkish official as having been intended for a military base in Cyprus but having gone off course. The incidents triggered repeated alerts around Akrotiri and even forced the cancellation of an EU ministers’ meeting on the island.