TRNC Foreign Ministry urges recognition of equal international status in Cyprus — Anadolu Agency
In Cyprus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on September 20 called on the international community to affirm, in its view, the TRNC's right to sovereign equality and equal international status. The ministry stated that the official policy of the TRNC and Türkiye on the Cyprus issue is based on these principles.
Position on settlement
The TRNC Foreign Ministry stated that, in order to achieve a lasting settlement on the island, the international community must recognize the TRNC's equal status. The ministry claims that two separate peoples and two independent sovereign states live side by side in Cyprus, and that policies which do not take this position into account will not succeed, Anadolu Agency reports.
The ministry also opposed the idea of a rotating presidency between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots in a hypothetical joint state across the entire island. The statement said that this model had been discussed for decades but, according to the TRNC's position, is incompatible with its approach based on sovereign equality and equal international status.
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Representation in the European Parliament
The TRNC Foreign Ministry separately commented on references in the European Parliament to two seats intended for Turkish Cypriots. The ministry stated that claims to these mandates would mean recognizing the status of the Republic of Cyprus, in whose institutions, according to the TRNC, Turkish Cypriots do not participate and have no representation.
The Cyprus issue has remained the subject of diplomatic efforts mediated by the UN for decades. Attempts to reach a comprehensive settlement included an initiative in Switzerland in 2017 involving Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom, which produced no result.
