Turkey is preparing to build a large naval base in the occupied territories of northern Cyprus, according to a report by Turkish media outlet Yeni Safak. As the main story of the newspaper reports, entitled “Urgently a large naval base on the island (Cyprus)”, the Turkish Navy has filed a request with the Turkish Foreign Ministry to commence works on the construction of a base intended to provide a docking area for the Turkish warships in an “appropriate place”.

Permanent military facilities are being built by the Turkish Navy in the city of Ammochostos in an effort by Turkey to carry out its strategic pursuits in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“Britain, USA, Spain, Italy, Canada, Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, and Greece have already sent their ships to the Eastern Mediterranean under the guise of the war in Syria. Turkey urgently needs a naval base in the region”, the newspaper claims, omitting the fact that Ankara already has naval bases in its own territory.

The newspaper also makes reference to “threats vital to Turkey’s security in the region,” Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), citing Nicosia’s “unilateral actions” on energy with drilling in its own EEZ.