Erdoğan: European troops sent to Cyprus over Iran war should not be permanent

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Thursday with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Tufan Erhurman at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Office in Istanbul, an official statement said. Erdoğan stressed that military elements deployed to Cyprus by some European countries under the pretext of the Iran war should not become permanent. He reaffirmed Türkiye’s readiness to take all necessary steps to defend the TRNC and said Ankara will never allow the rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots to be violated.

Bilateral and Regional Issues

Erdoğan and Erhurman discussed bilateral ties and regional issues. The Turkish president was accompanied by National Intelligence Organisation head İbrahim Kalın, foreign policy and security adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, and chief adviser Zafer Çubukçu. The meeting underscores Ankara’s commitment to the security and sovereignty of the TRNC amid heightened regional tensions following the US‑Israeli war on Iran.

Strategic Context

The meeting comes as European countries have moved military assets to Cyprus, citing the conflict in the Middle East. Erdoğan’s warning reflects Ankara’s concern that such deployments could become a permanent fixture, altering the strategic balance on the island. Türkiye has consistently supported the TRNC’s sovereign rights and has called for dialogue and de‑escalation in the region, while maintaining its readiness to defend Turkish Cypriots.