Turkish UAV base approved

Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar announced on Thursday he is transferring control of the Gecitkale air base in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus to the Turkish Army to serve as a deployment hub for unmanned aircraft.

In a televised interview with the 24TV network, Tatar said the “parliament” of the entity, which is only recognized by Ankara, approved the move.

“Now, with the vote of our parliament, it has been transferred to the Turkish Armed Forces. With some investments that will be made there, it will be used as a military airport when needed, or as an airport, and of course it is very important, both for the security of the Turkish-Cypriot people themselves, and for Turkey’s influence in the region,” he noted.

Making reference to the Blue Homeland doctrine, which envisages Turkish influence over vast swaths of the Mediterranean at the expense of countries in the region like Cyprus and Greece, Tatar claimed that “according to the law of the sea, we have 400,000 kilometers of jurisdiction and law in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

“Within these frameworks, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has rights corresponding to three times its own territory,” he added.