Ankara backs TRNC for full membership in Turkic states organization

ANKARA

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz reaffirmed Ankara's support for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to become a full member of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on Saturday.

"The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will soon take its place as a full member in our family council, the Organization of Turkic States," Yılmaz told reporters before meeting with TRNC President Ersin Tatar in Ankara.

The OTS, founded in 2009, includes Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan as full members, with Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the TRNC as observers. It aims to promote cooperation among Turkic-speaking nations.

Yılmaz emphasized Türkiye's commitment to strengthening the TRNC's economy through joint projects and increased access to quality public services. He also stressed that a lasting solution to the Cyprus issue remains a top priority for Ankara.

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots despite a series of diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983. July 20, the anniversary of the operation, is celebrated yearly in the TRNC as Peace and Freedom Day.

Türkiye supports a two-state solution on Cyprus based on sovereign equality and equal international status. The Greek Cypriot administration, admitted to the EU in 2004, rejected a U.N. plan to end the dispute that same year.

Yılmaz expressed hope that international recognition of the TRNC and the establishment of diplomatic, political, and economic ties would contribute to regional stability and prosperity.