Erdoğan : “We will not reduce the number of our soldiers in Cyprus”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that they will not reduce the number of their soldiers in Cyprus. He was speaking to members of the press following his return from a visit to Azerbaijan over the weekend.

Regarding the media reports last month that Turkey was planning to establish a sovereign naval base in the north of the island Erdoğan said: “We do not have a base problem in the TRNC. Turkey is very close to the island so there is not a problem in reaching it. It will take only minutes to reach the Eastern Mediterranean. We do not need to establish a base there.”

He said that from now on, Turkey will apply the “recipe” it will determine as regards the Eastern Mediterranean.