Turkey plans to build a naval base in the occupied north of Cyprus, Yeni Safak newspaper said on Tuesday.
The paper, which is closely affiliated to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that the Turkish Navy has already submitted a request to the Foreign Ministry to begin procedures to find an “appropriate” spot on the island to build the base.
The paper said the base was necessary as other countries – including the UK, US, Spain, Italy, Canada, Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Germany and Greece – are using the war in Syria as a pretext to maintain a presence in the East Med.
Analysts say that if the report is confirmed, it could compromise efforts to resolve the Cyprus dispute.
When asked to comment on a report by Turkish daily “Yeni Safak”, that says that the Turkish army submitted a proposal to the Turkish Foreign Ministry for the creation of a military naval base in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus, Prodromou declined, saying that the government does not comment on press reports.
“What is now expected from Turkey is to also give its consent and provide a positive response to the United Nations, as was the position of the Greek Cypriot side in favor of the resumption of negotiations from were they were left off, given the Guterres framework” Prodromou concluded.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. The latest effort to reach a Cyprus settlement was concluded in summer last year in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana without a result.
