Turkish Cypriot football federation considers membership in Greek counterpart

Ercan Ata NICOSIA

The head of the Turkish Cypriot Federation (KTFF) has decided to apply for membership in the Greek Cypriot football federation in a bid to prevent players from signing contracts with foreign teams, namely Turkey, without any fees.

The KTFF is not a member of either FIFA or UEFA.

Officials of the 42 teams on the Turkish side of the divided island have issued a 45-day deadline for Turkish and Cypriot officials to produce a solution to their economic burdens, adding that they would otherwise file an application with the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) on the Greek side despite ongoing political problems.

Tekin Birinci, the head of Gençlik Gücü, said in a recent meeting that his team would make an individual application to the CFA if their own federation refuses to do so after the deadline.

Arslan Bıçaklı, the head of a Turkish Cypriot workers’ union, said officials on both sides of the island could sign a protocol, as is the case in many other issues, to help the Turkish side integrate into the world football system.

The head of the KTFF, Hasan Sertoğlu, agreed with the idea, while 28 out of 31 member clubs voted affirmatively, with three abstentions.