Turkey is exploring the deployment of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets to Northern Cyprus as part of heightened security precautions, a source from the Turkish Ministry of National Defence revealed on Saturday. The move is being considered after a recent drone strike targeted the island.
The incident occurred as tensions escalated following strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran. Cyprus—an European Union member currently holding the bloc’s rotating presidency—was directly affected when an Iranian-made drone struck a British military base earlier in the week. Officials in Nicosia indicated the drone was likely launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon rather than from Iran.
In response, several European countries have offered assistance to Cyprus, deploying air defense systems and other military support. Despite the wider conflict in the Middle East, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler stated that the probability of a direct clash between Turkey and Israel remains “very low,” even though Ankara and Tel Aviv have disagreed over issues such as the war in Gaza and Israeli actions in Syria.
Relations between Ankara and Washington have also been strained since Turkey purchased the Russian-made S-400 missile system, which led the United States to remove the country from the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program due to concerns about potential exposure of the aircraft’s stealth capabilities.
