New York (TDI): Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged the international community to recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
He made this statement while addressing the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
Erdogan highlighted the rights of Turkish Cypriots and called for acceptance of their sovereign equality and international status.
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The TRNC, declared in 1983, is only recognized by Turkey, while the rest of the international community considers it part of the Republic of Cyprus. This lack of recognition has led to economic and political isolation, with an embargo affecting the northern part of the island’s development.
Erdogan did not only urge for recognition but also for establishing diplomatic, political, and economic relations with the TRNC. His statements reflect Turkey’s long-standing policy that any future negotiations must treat both Cypriot communities as equals, a stance that opposes the international view that favours a federated Cyprus under UN resolutions.
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Addressing the UN, TRNC Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu termed Erdogan’s international advocacy as “extremely meaningful and important.”
Background
The Cyprus conflict dates back to the early 1960s when ethnic violence forced Turkish Cypriots into enclaves for safety. The situation escalated in 1974 when a coup, engineered by Greek Cypriots with the intention of unifying Cyprus with Greece, prompted Turkey to intervene militarily.
As one of Cyprus’s guarantor powers, Turkey cited its responsibility to protect the Turkish Cypriot population from persecution. This intervention led to the de facto partition of the island.
