As Israel and the Greek Cypriot administration, two governments harboring hostility toward Türkiye, advance their ties, Ankara stressed it will not allow security threats to develop on the divided island, according to Turkish Defense Ministry sources on Thursday.
The sources said that the country is closely monitoring the Greek Cypriot plan to obtain air defense systems from Israel.
Sources said Greek Cypriot armament and activities would undermine peace and stability on the island and could have “dangerous consequences.” Türkiye is at odds with Greek Cypriots over the decades-old Cyprus “question,” while its ties with Israel came to a standstill after the Netanyahu administration’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza and beyond.
Türkiye views the Greek Cypriot plan as an attempt to disturb the balance on the island, according to the sources, and stressed that Ankara is “taking necessary measures for security and peace of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).”
Cyprus is divided into two between the Turkish Cypriots, whose state is recognized by Türkiye, and the Greek Cypriot administration recognized by other countries. The two sides’ efforts to find a compromise on the island have so far failed, and the TRNC advocates a solution on the status of the island that fully recognizes the Turkish Cypriot state’s sovereignty.
The TRNC has expressed concern several times over growing defense and security ties between its southern neighbor and Israel. Officials in the TRNC have criticized joint military exercises, intelligence sharing and the lifting of U.S. arms restrictions for the Greek Cypriot side as moves that could destabilize the region. In February, the Greek Cypriot administration handed over security responsibilities for Larnaca and Paphos airports to Israeli authorities. Turkish Cypriot officials viewed this as a further extension of Israeli influence on the island and an indication of the Greek Cypriot side’s increasing dependence on Israel for military and strategic purposes.
Meanwhile, speaking at the weekly briefing of the ministry, Zeki Aktürk, the Defense Ministry’s spokesperson, said Israel’s ground operation launched against Gaza on Sept. 16 has further deepened the grave humanitarian tragedy that has been ongoing in the region for more than two years.
“Israel’s attacks targeting the civilian population in Gaza and its provocative actions against neighboring countries are clear indications of its intent to once again drag the Middle East into total instability,” said Aktürk. The international community can no longer turn a blind eye to “the systematic oppression, state terrorism, and genocide taking place in Gaza,” said Aktürk, adding: “We call upon the international community to take effective and deterrent steps without further delay and to adopt serious measures against Israel in order to ensure peace and stability in the region.”
Cooperation with Egypt
Aktürk also said Türkiye was scheduled to hold a joint military exercise with Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean, a critical area in light of the latest developments in the region, from Israel’s expansionist goals to Greek Cypriots’ attempts to thwart hydrocarbon exploration by Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots. The exercise will be the first of its kind in 13 years and will be attended by commanders of the Turkish and Egyptian navies.
In the past two years, Ankara and Cairo have rapidly revived their somewhat dormant relations, which soured after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi came to power. Reciprocal visits by el-Sissi and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paved the way for new deals on cooperation, including on security and diplomacy, especially in light of Israel’s attacks on Palestinian territories neighboring Egypt.
Egypt now plans to join Türkiye’s domestically developed Kaan fighter jet program, according to reports. Interest in the Kaan project was first raised in September 2024 during el-Sissi’s visit to Ankara, where he also expressed interest in Türkiye’s “Iron Dome”-style air defense system. Subsequent visits by Egyptian air force delegations and the May 2025 trip of Egypt’s armed forces chief Gen. Ahmad Khalifa deepened the dialogue, covering training, technology transfer and knowledge sharing.
