ANKARA, March 9 (Reuters) – Turkey on Monday deployed six F-16 fighter jets and air defence systems to northern Cyprus to boost the security of the Turkish community there amid the war in Iran, the defence ministry said, adding that Ankara would take additional measures if needed.
European powers have moved to ramp up military deployments to the ethnically-split island in recent days, after an Iranian drone, which security officials believe was fired by Hezbollah, an ally of Iran in Lebanon, hit the British Akrotiri air base in Cyprus last week.
“In the context of the latest developments in our region, six F-16 fighter jets and air defence systems have been deployed to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as of today,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that this was part of the phased planning to strengthen the breakaway state’s security.
“As a result of the evaluations to be made depending on the developments, additional measures will continue to be taken if necessary,” it added.
Turkey does not recognise the internationally-recognised and European Union-member Greek Cypriot administration in the south of the island, and is the only country to recognise the Turkish Cypriot state to the north.
Last week, NATO defences shot down a ballistic missile fired from Iran into Turkish airspace, in a significant escalation of a U.S.-Israeli war against Iran that has spread to the wider region. NATO member Ankara warned Iran on Saturday against firing more missiles towards it.
Turkey has criticised the European deployments to Cyprus as moves that risk dragging the island into the conflict.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Tom Hogue, Daren Butler, and Aidan Lewis)
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