Six Turkish F-16 fighter jets are expected to arrive at Ercan (Tymbou) airport in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus early on Monday, according to Turkish Cypriot civil aviation authority acting director Askin Meseli.
The deployment was initially expected to involve four aircraft arriving on Sunday, but Meseli told Kibris Postasi that the number had increased to six and that they would now land in the early hours of Monday.
The move comes amid rising regional tensions following last week’s drone strike on Cyprus involving an Iranian-made drone.
Several countries have since strengthened their military presence around the island. Greece deployed four F-16 fighter jets to Paphos last Monday, followed by two frigates, including the Kimon, which Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described as the “pride of the Greek fleet”.
France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom have also announced or deployed military assets to the region, as Cyprus becomes increasingly central to the wider Middle East security situation.
Source: Cyprus Mail