Turkey announces military activities in occupied northern Cyprus

The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that three warships—TCG Karatas, TCG Tufan, and TCG Kdz. Eregli—will be deployed to the occupied north of Cyprus to participate in commemorative events marking the 43rd anniversary of the proclamation of the so-called 'TRNC' on November 15. In addition to the naval presence, the Turkish Stars aerobatic team is scheduled to perform an air show as part of the celebrations. Official reports also confirm that the chief of the Turkish General Staff visited the region on November 7 to inspect occupation forces and meet with Turkish Cypriot leadership, while the Turkish Defense Minister met with the 'prime minister' of the entity during the COP31 summit in Antalya on November 11.

Separately, the Ministry of Defense provided updates on regional naval cooperation, noting that the Greek warship 'Aegean' and two Spanish vessels are currently visiting the Aksaz naval base in Turkey from November 7 to 13. This visit is part of the NATO SNMG-2 naval group and the 'Blue Whale 2026' military exercise in the eastern Mediterranean. Furthermore, a cooperation meeting between the Turkish and US navies is scheduled to take place in Turkey between November 16 and 18, as regional military engagements continue to evolve.