As the construction of the new Presidential Complex of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) nears its end, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to hold the inauguration ceremony in May.
The complex, the construction of which was started three years ago by Türkiye, will include the Presidency, the Assembly of the republic, the Prime Ministry, as well as a "Millet Bahçesi" ("public park").
The Presidential Complex, which is considered to become one of the symbolic structures of the TRNC, was built on an area of 639,475 square meters. The public park, on the other hand, will include seating areas, a football field, mosque, tennis court and a skate park.
Boasting a similar architecture to that of Türkiye’s Presidency, the complex is expected to be opened in the first week of May.
After the TRNC Presidency moves to its new location, the historical building that is still in use will continue to serve as a museum. The new construction aims to expand the working areas of all state institutions while bringing together the institutions operating in scattered areas in the capital Nicosia (Lefkoşa).
The opening of the new complex comes as renewed talks are taking place between the two communities on the divided island and the TRNC is facing new challenges.
The Mediterranean island was divided in 1974 after a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island. This led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. The TRNC was founded in 1983.
The Turkish side strictly adheres to a two-state solution based on sovereign equality, arguing that past efforts to reunify the island under a federal model have failed due to the Greek Cypriot administration's reluctance to share power and resources.
The island has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, under the auspices of the guarantor countries.
The Greek Cypriot administration joined the European Union in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots rejected a United Nations plan to resolve the dispute in a referendum.
