Filenews 1 May 2022 - by Kostas Venizelos
The creation of a radar base in occupied Karpasia, the upgrading of the airport in Lefkoniko for its use by drones and the construction of a naval base in Bogazi, are moves that are part of the Turkish plan to control the area. And this, according to the infrastructure that was either constructed or their construction is underway, refers to the decision of the occupying Turkey to fully exploit the island in order to implement its strategic objectives. This is a plan that clearly strengthens Turkey's military presence on the island, which is being militarised.
What exactly is Ankara planning?
First, it has been decided to build a ship monitoring station in Akrotiri of Apostolos Andreas and in the area of Templos. The radar installation aims to monitor the movement in the sea and in the air.
Secondly, the Lefkoniko air base - by decision of the Turkish government in 2018 - has been upgraded and drones, the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, have been installed. At this stage, a very small number of UAVs have reportedly been installed as they can be transported at any time from Turkey. Reports say the base is used as a network node for signalling flights, for example operating in Syria or elsewhere.
Thirdly, the naval base in Bogazi has been designed, but it still does not seem to have entered the construction phase. All preliminary plans have been made and construction is expected to begin soon.
It is clear that two of the three military bases will be used for military operations, within the framework of Turkish military and strategic planning to expand Turkish influence in the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and Africa.
