The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Football Federation (KTFF) has rejected the Turkish Football Federation's (TFF) attempt to open a branch office in Nicosia, and announced to join the Greek Cyprus Football Association (KOP) yesterday. The head of the KTFF, Hasan Sertoğlu held a news conference on the Turkish side of Nicosia yesterday said he's determined to follow through with a decision to join the ranks of the Greek Cyprus Football Association. Hasan Sertoğlu said he has already dispatched a letter notifying FIFA that the KTFF is bringing its statutes in line with international norms. He said that will enable them to join the FIFA- and UEFA-recognized Greek Cyprus FA. "Today an era in Turkish Cypriot football is closing, and we are doing what we believe is right. There is no going back on the Greek Cyprus FA deal. We will move on after we make a change in our legislation. The KOP will only be a competent authority after FIFA's approval. We will make our application. We have a right to play football. The KOP recognizes the KTFF's authority in the north and our organizations are valid. We made negotiations with the KOP."Referring to Turkish Football Federation Chairman Yıldırım Demirören, Sertoğlu said, "We got an appointment from Mr Demirören. He did not want to have a picture taken together with us. He went to the Northern Cyprus Presidency and did not want to have a coffee with us. He dispatched a letter from Turkey to FIFA without asking us."Meanwhile, KOP President Kostakis Kutsokumnis stressed that membership of the KTTF would be a long process. Kutsokumnis said, "If the KTFF's application is accepted by the KOP's General Assembly, Turkish Cypriot football can be represented under the supervision by the KOP's authorized body and Turkish representatives can be within the body of the KOP."According to sportsbgnnews.com, the reaction of Turkish Cypriot football clubs, totaling around 42, against Turkey over losing their players for free to Turkish league clubs with no transfer fees, has prompted the KTFF to announce that it will be joining the KOP. The Turkish Cypriot news site said, "the problem stems from the fact that the Turkish side of the island is only recognized as a country by Turkey, which inevitably limits international exposure in many areas, including football. The KTFF has no official status at the football's governing bodies FIFA and the UEFA. Therefore players need to leave the Turkish side of the island to play international football."In order to resolve the transfer fee issue, TFF President Demirören applied to FIFA to open a branch office in Nicosia, a suggestion which was met with resistance by the KTFF and ultimately rejected by FIFA.Two years ago, with FIFA acting as a mediator between the two sides of the Cyprus island, the KOP accepted the membership from the KTFF; however the membership never materialized over the strong reaction on the island. KTFF President Sertoğlu once again brought up the KOP membership last month over the growing rift with the TFF over the transfer fee issue.According to the agreement signed in Zurich in November 2013, the Turkish Cypriot Football Federation will be accepted as a natural member of the Greek Cypriot Federation, thus making all the Turkish teams natural members of the Greek Cypriot league. The Turkish Federation will be allowed a spot in the management of the Greek Cypriot Federation, and the Turkish Federation will be able to organize international matches with the permission of the Greek side. However, details of the deal's implementation still have to be worked out by KTFF and KOP, with FIFA's help, and it could take several years to come into effect.Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot Sports Minister Serdar Denktaş was quoted in local media yesterday as describing the move "outrageous". He is said to cut funding to football clubs if they went ahead, Turkish Cypriot media reported. But Sertoğlu responded: "This is not a one-man show. I have the full support of the (CTFA) executive committee. "This is not a political issue, we are doing this for the future of our youth," he said.