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Turkish Cyprus sharply condemned Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides on Monday for calling Türkiye an "occupying power," firing back with a forceful defence of Ankara's deployment of six F-16 fighter jets and air defence systems to the island's north amid an escalating military buildup across the Eastern Mediterranean.
The statement from the Turkish Cypriot foreign ministry marked the latest salvo in an intensifying war of words between the two sides of the divided island, as the broader conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States sends shockwaves through the region and transforms Cyprus into a focal point of competing military interests.
The Turkish Cypriot foreign ministry said it "strongly condemns" Christodoulides' characterisation of Türkiye as an occupying force, describing Ankara's military presence as the sole guarantee of peace and stability on the island. The statement expressed "great satisfaction" with the deployment and praised Türkiye's effective and active guarantee, calling the Turkish military's deterrent presence "an indispensable vital element for the Turkish Cypriot people."
The ministry framed the F-16 deployment as a direct response to what it described as Greek Cyprus' unilateral military partnerships, which it said had endangered the island. It accused the Christodoulides administration of spending billions of euros on military procurement since taking office and of opening the island to the military use of countries including the United States, Israel and France, turning the island into "a military base aligned with the interests of certain powers."
Christodoulides, for his part, said on Monday that the deployment would not change Türkiye's status, emphasising that it appeared to be a reaction to European and EU statements affirming that the security of Greek Cyprus is a shared responsibility of the bloc.
The F-16 deployment caps a week of rapidly escalating military activity on and around the island. On 1 March, a drone launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon struck the British RAF Akrotiri base on Cyprus, the first such attack on the island in decades. Additional drones launched on 1 March and 4 March were intercepted. Two missiles were also launched from Iran toward Cyprus, though British Defence Minister John Healey told the BBC the island may not have been the intended target; reports indicated the missiles fell short and landed in the sea.
The strikes prompted a cascade of European military reinforcements. Greece deployed four F-16 fighter jets to the Paphos air base and sent two frigates, including the Kimon and Psara, equipped with anti-drone systems.
France dispatched the frigate Languedoc, while the UK sent helicopters with counter-drone capabilities and the air-defence destroyer HMS Dragon. Italy, the Netherlands and Spain also sent naval frigates to the area.
Türkiye's defence ministry initially signalled it was considering the deployment as part of phased security planning. Original plans called for four jets, but the number was increased to six. The ministry confirmed on Monday that the aircraft and air defence systems had been deployed, stating that additional measures would be taken if necessary.
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