Ankara, Turkey. Turkey is reviewing and updating its military readiness in the north of Cyprus amid what it describes as growing regional tensions, Defence Minister Yasar Guler said on Monday. He said Ankara was closely assessing developments on the island and potential threats.
Military readiness
In a written response to a parliamentary question, Guler said Turkey’s military posture was being updated while seeking to preserve what he described as sensitive balances on the island.
He said the measures were intended to ensure the security of both Turkey and the north.
Regional security cooperation
The comments followed questions concerning Nato’s evolving security architecture and expanding cooperation between the United States, Israel, Greece and Cyprus.
Guler said Turkey was monitoring Israel’s activities in the Republic and assessing their possible implications for regional security. He added that necessary military and political measures continued to be taken against potential threats.
Developments in Syria
The defence minister also referred to Israel’s operations in southern Syria, saying Ankara was monitoring developments and taking action where it considered Turkish national security could be affected.
Cyprus has expanded defence ties with Greece, Israel, France and the United States through military exercises and security agreements in recent years. Turkey has repeatedly argued that such cooperation alters the status quo in the Levant.
Guler did not specify the changes being made to Turkey’s military posture or whether additional troops or military assets would be deployed in the north, which is estimated to host about 35,000 soldiers.
