Erdogan told reporters that "if necessary," Ankara "can construct a naval base and naval structures in the north" of Cyprus, in a nod to the territory of the TRNC, a breakaway state proclaimed by Turkish Cypriots in 1983 and only recognized by Turkiye.
Ankara currently maintains its Gecitkale Air Base (Lefkoniko Airport) in northern Cyprus, amid reports about Turkiye’s new strategy, which "involves transforming the Lefkoniko into a significant military base, alongside planned bases in Bogazi and Karpasia, all falling under the Turkish Naval Forces."
The Greek Cypriot administration earlier announced plans to build a naval base near the southern Cyprus village of Mari with Greece's support, which Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas called a long-term project aimed at "offering services to friendly countries."
Сyprus is also home to the UK’s Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory, which includes two large military bases and installations, created under the London and Zurich Agreements in 1960, when Cyprus achieved independence from the British Empire.
The deals stipulated that the UK, along with Greece and Turkiye, was a guarantor of independence, territorial integrity and security of the Republic of Cyprus.
Cyprus has been de facto partitioned into Greek and Turkish portions since Ankara’s military operation in the island in 1974, which was triggered by a coup staged by those calling for the island to become part of Greece. The UN-mediated negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus, which have been underway since the island's partition, finally came to a standstill in 2017.