Filenews 5 August 2021 - by Andreas Pibisis
Turkey is investing too much in the use of the "Lefkonikos airport" which it converts into a base for drones. It wants to turn it into a base for surveillance of the eastern Mediterranean and, if it considers it appropriate, for action against countries in the region.
Ersin Tatar has revealed that Turkish drones can be used for missions against Egypt. In Israel, various studies record the risks to countries in the region from a drone base.
Both Egypt and Israel are partners of Cyprus and between them have developed a close cooperation for which Ankara reacts and tries through various means to overthrow it. At the same time, despite what officials may see in Ankara, Turkey is at odds with both Egypt and Israel.
Referring to the issue of the air base in The White House, Ersin Tatar noted: "Drones (İHA) and armed drones (SİHA) take 6 to 7 hours, from where they are in Turkey, to reach the 'south' [in the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus]. However, İHA and SİHA, installed in the White House, will be able to take off and inspect what is happening in the area, which extends as far as 'southern Cyprus' or Egypt, in a short period of time. The base of the Lefkonikos is used for our own defence."
In response to a question about whether there is a naval base in the occupied territories, Tatar said there is no naval base and that the issue could be considered.
The issue of the Lefkonikos base as a base against the countries of the region is also mentioned in a recent analysis published by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) of Tel Aviv University in Israel. In an analysis, on the occasion of Erdogan's recent visit to the occupied territories, reference is made to both the issue of Turkey's actions on Varosia and the issue of the base in the White House, underlining that it is an issue that deserves special attention:
"Although most attention had been focused towards the opening of Varosia, the issue of the military drone base that Turkey is building in the north of Cyprus as well as Turkey's plans to build a naval base needs more broad regional response and monitoring, including Jerusalem."
Through this analysis it is stated in the direction of the Israeli Government that in addition to its support for Cyprus (which is recorded extensively) in the issue of Varosia, Jerusalem should also pay attention to Turkish actions with regard to the establishment of a base for drones and a naval base.
And according to our information, both Cairo and Jerusalem, as well as powerful players such as the United States, are watching very closely Turkey's movements in the region and its attempt to turn the occupied into a base.
Before Erdogan's visit to the occupied territories, on the anniversary of the Turkish invasion, almost all Turkish media broadcast the same information on the issue of the base in the occupied White House. That Erdogan planned to inaugurate the reconstruction of the region and convert it into a permanent base for drones. However, Erdogan came and went from the occupied territories without going to the White House.
It is not excluded that one of the reasons for not going to the area and avoiding base upgrade ceremonies has to do with the reactions that have been made from different directions. The United States was one of the countries that reacted to the Turkish plans.
Turkey had initially decided to use the Lefkonikos air base as a temporary parking area for drones. Then, according to the new plans, the aim is to create the structures for Turkish drones to be permanently stationed in the occupied territories.
They have already been tested
The Bayraktar TB2 drones have been successfully tested in Iraq, Libya, Ngorno-Karabakh and Syria. They are considered the long and cheap hand of the Turkish armed forces and are now exported to countries such as Qatar and Ukraine. They often accompany Turkish research vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean and occasionally participate in violations of Greece's airspace in the Aegean.
