Officials were studying debris at the crash site in the Tashkent area, according to a statement on Twitter by Kudret Ozersay, foreign minister of TRNC, whose independence is recognised only by Turkey.
“According to the information I received from our military sources, the cause of the accident that occurred tonight was not ... a helicopter or one of our similar vehicles,” Ozersay wrote on Twitter. “Our soldiers, police and firefighters are carrying out inspections and responding at the site.”
The official later wrote that the object was a Russian-made missile that exploded in the air before it hit the ground and caused to casualties.
Cyprus has been partitioned since 1974, when Turkey occupied the island's northern part, later proclaiming the region the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. While the Republic of Cyprus is internationally recognised as the sole legitimate state, Turkey maintains a military presence in TRNC, which is only recognised by Ankara as an independent state. The UN-brokered talks on the reunification of have been going on for years and were resumed in May 2015.
