US Embassy officials visit Ercan Airport for security assessment

The US Embassy in Nicosia confirmed that its officials visited Ercan (Tymbou) Airport in northern Cyprus to evaluate security measures and technical infrastructure. This confirmation follows reports from Turkish Cypriot media and declarations by "Transport Minister" Erhan Arikli, who initially characterized the visit as a technical inspection by a CIA delegation. The US Embassy clarified that the visit was conducted by embassy personnel rather than intelligence agencies to ensure the safety of American citizens who travel through the site. Although official US travel advisories recommend using only the legal ports of Larnaca and Paphos, the embassy noted that some citizens continue to use Ercan, making safety assessments a priority. The Republic of Cyprus maintains that entry via this airport is illegal, yet the facility reported over three million passengers in the first seven months of 2025. The US officials met with Turkish Cypriot aviation operators to discuss safety protocols under precautionary grounds. This visit comes amid a nearly 20% increase in passenger traffic at the airport compared to previous periods.