This archive report was first published on 16 December 2019.
On December 16, 2019, a Bayraktar TB2 drone landed at Gecitkale Airport in Famagusta, Northern Cyprus, around 0700 GMT. The deployment followed a deal signed between Libya and Turkey last month, which could have significant implications for the scramble for recently discovered gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean.
The agreement between Libya and Turkey claimed extensive areas of the sea for Turkey, potentially undercutting claims by Greece and the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, which runs the southern part of the island.
Analysts suggest that Turkey's move is a response to rival efforts to claim exploration rights in the area. Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, and Israel have excluded Turkey from a new 'East Mediterranean Gas Forum', which also includes Jordan, Italy, and the Palestinian territories.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has approved the use of the airport for unmanned aerial vehicles, citing the need to protect its legitimate rights and interests. The TRNC's transport minister, Tolga Atakan, stated that Turkish drones were partly a response to the acquisition of Israeli drones by Cyprus in October to monitor its exclusive economic zone.
The deployment of the drone has raised tensions in the region, with Cyprus divided since Turkish troops occupied the northern third of the island in 1974 in response to a coup sponsored by the Greek military junta.
