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Turkey to Send UAVs to Northern Cyprus Base, Expanding Mediterranean Operations
(T-Intelligence) The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will allow the Turkish Air Force (TAF) to fly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Gecitkale airport, Turkish Cypriot officials announced on Friday. In recent years, Greece, Cyprus and Israel have discovered offshore gas fields in their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the Eastern Mediterranean and agreed in 2019 to pursue a common pipeline project to deliver Israeli and Cypriote natural gas to the EU via Greece. Turkey, which hasn't found any hydrocarbons in Turkish waters, sees the project as a threat to its status and to the TRNC's maritime rights. Turkey does not recognize Cyprus, and is not a signatory of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Ankara claims parts of the Cypriot offshore hydrocarbons or demands that the Cyprus government in Nicosia share its exclusive resources with the TRNC. The Turkish government ignored international criticism and authorized Turkish Petroleum to conduct drillings off Cyprus' east and west coasts. Two Turkish drilling vessels alongside seismic vessels have been searching for oil and gas for the past five months, escorted by Turkish Navy and Coast Guard vessels.