President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his country has drones currently stationed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, stressing the need to ensure the security of this part of the island from all sides.
This came in statements to reporters accompanying him on the plane during his return from the Czech capital Prague, which he visited Thursday to participate in the summit of the "European Political Community".
The Turkish President's statement also came in response to a reporter's question about the steps that Ankara might take against the background of the statements of Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloglu.
And Ertuğruloglu had said two days ago that his country had given the United Nations one month to "either recognize us or withdraw the peacekeeping force from Cyprus."
The Turkish president indicated that Turkey has deployed ordinary and armed drones in the territory of the Republic of Northern Cyprus, and also made it clear that Turkish fighters can reach northern Cyprus in a short period immediately after taking off from the mainland of Turkey.
Erdogan revealed that Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades insisted on meeting and talking with him on the sidelines of the Prague summit and asked for the mediation of other personalities for this, according to what Anatolia News Agency quoted him as saying.
Erdogan's comments come against the backdrop of a decision taken by Washington on September 16 to extend the lifting of the arms embargo on Cyprus for one year during the 2023 fiscal year.
Ankara recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, located in the north of the island, and is the only country in the world to recognize it, while the United Nations and other member states recognize the Greek-majority Republic of Cyprus.