Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said on Thursday that they sought to upgrade their status in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) from observer to full member, “so we can upgrade relations between our people too.”
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) suffers from a lack of international recognition, whereas Greek Cypriots in the divided island enjoy worldwide support. The OTS is an essential venue for the country to reclaim its international rights, as it comprises countries sharing Turkic heritage.
Cyprus has been mired for decades in a dispute between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. 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 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. It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the U.K.
Üstel said they endeavored to help the TRNC adapt to the world and reiterated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s three subsequent calls to the U.N. General Assembly for recognition of the country. He noted that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has also made calls for their recognition. Erdoğan helped the TRNC to obtain observer member status in the OTS.
The prime minister underlined that commercial and tourism relations between the OTS and the TRNC should be enhanced.
“Our people should truly come together. We hope to reinforce our relations. We can convert our strong historical bonds into synergy,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA).
He noted that Turkic states faced external pressure against recognizing the TRNC, but he was assured they would not bow down. “Nobody can force us to bow down to their demands if we remain united. We want them to stand up for the TRNC. It is not a mere diplomatic matter. It is the restoration of justice, ensuring the nation’s right to self-determination. This is a historic responsibility for the Turkic world,” he said.
Some member countries of the OTS announced at the summit they held with the EU on April 4 that they would abide by U.N. Security Council Resolutions 541 and 550, which condemned the establishment of the TRNC and called on states not to recognize it. Those countries later decided to open embassies in the Greek Cypriot administration.
TRNC President Ersin Tatar recently said: “Turkic states should be a little more careful about their relations with the Greek side. They may have relations with the EU. The EU is a union, but it is not under the sovereignty of the Greeks, whose population is 800,000. Turkic states can also establish relations with the Greeks, but they should be careful because the game played by the Greek Cypriot administration is completely different.”
