Turkish Vice President announces natural gas pipeline to occupied Cyprus

On July 10, 2026, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz visited the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus to announce a project for a natural gas pipeline connecting Turkey to the north. Yilmaz characterized the project as historic and announced that a memorandum of understanding would be signed to formalize the initiative, aiming for cheaper and uninterrupted energy. During his visit, Yilmaz met with officials of the unrecognized Turkish Cypriot administration, including Unal Ustel, and participated in the delivery of a firefighting helicopter. Simultaneously, Turkish Minister of Energy Alparslan Bayraktar inspected a power plant in Kyrenia to discuss transitioning it to natural gas. Yilmaz also reiterated Ankara's support for a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem and criticized a recent European Parliament resolution regarding the 1974 invasion. Official Cypriot sources described the visit as illegal and denounced the initiatives as attempts to further integrate the occupied areas with Turkey.