Northern Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey, a country which facilitates many of its contacts with the international community. After it was occupied by Turkey, Northern Cyprus' relations with the rest of the world were further complicated by a series of United Nations resolutions which declared its independence legally invalid. A 2004 UN Referendum on settling the Cyprus dispute was accepted by the Turkish Cypriots but rejected by the Greek Cypriots. After that, the European Uniondeclared its intentions to assist in reducing the economic isolation of Northern Cyprus and began giving aid to the territory. However, due to pressure from Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, this aid coming from EU funds cannot be used on Greek Cypriot land and property nor on public bodies. As a result, these funds can be used only on 29 percent of people on the island of Cyprus (those under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus).[1]
In 2005, Yahya Jammeh, then President of the Gambia, said that his country was ready to recognise the independence of Northern Cyprus. The Cypriot government protested and The Gambia did not recognise the TRNC.[7]
TRNC Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu made a call to the members of OIC on 23 September 2022, at a coordination meeting of the Organization's ministers of foreign affairs, at New York, to recognize his country,[10] only a couple of days after a similar call by the President of Turkey to the international community at the 77th UNGA.[11]
Northern Cyprus is recognised by the Commonwealth of Nations as a part of the Republic of Cyprus, not as an independent country.
In July 2024, at the summit of the Organization of Turkic States the Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev congratulated the President of Northern Cyprus, Ersin Tatar for the 50 years since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and mentioned that the participation in the Turkic summit is a crucial step towards the recognition of Northern Cyprus.[12]
Diplomatic representations
London office of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Bedford Square.
In various other countries, the TRNC has representative offices, some of which are unofficial. Turkey represents the TRNC's interests in countries without such offices. In North Nicosia (the Turkish Cypriot administered northern half), both the British High Commissioner to Cyprus and the United States Ambassador to Cyprus have their formal residences, though since these residences had been in use since before 1963, it is not indicative of formal recognition of the TRNC by the United Kingdom or United States. In the same situation are the representative offices maintained by Australia, France, Germany, South Korea.
Honorary Representatives are also appointed by the TRNC in various other cities to represent the TRNC and to assist the primary TRNC Representative Offices.
United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, France, Switzerland and Australia have representation offices in Northern Nicosia. As well, Northern Cyprus has a number of representations in other countries with various status.
On 27 September 2024, Foreign minister of Northern Cyprus, Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu and Foreign minister of Burkina Faso, Karamako Jean-Marie Traoré, met during margins of the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.[19]
Republic of Cyprus
After the Republic of Cyprus became a member of the European Union, the southern part of the island became part of the Customs Union of the EU. The Northern part of the island is excluded from the Customs Union. In spite of that, the Green Line regulations are intended to ease trade relations between Northern Cyprus and the EU.[citation needed]
Oil exploration in East Mediterranean became a problem between the administrations of the north and the south side since 2000.
In 2023, the president of Northern Cyprus, Ersin Tatar, strongly protested France's naval base in the southern part of the island of Cyprus[22] which Northern Cyprus considers illegal.[23]
Although Germany does not maintain official relations with Northern Cyprus, it has wide-ranging contact with representatives of the Turkish Cypriots. [25]
Greece
In 2014, the-then Turkish Cypriot negotiator Kudret Özersay and his delegation was received by the Secretary General of the Greek Foreign Ministry, Anastasios Mitsialis.[26][27]
On 18 February 2008, the President of the TRNC, Mehmet Ali Talat, congratulated the people of Kosovo on their new-found independence, in opposition to the Republic of Cyprus, which has not recognised Kosovo as an independent state. However, presidential spokesman Hasan Ercakica stated that the TRNC was not preparing to officially recognise Kosovo.[30] In contrast, the Republic of Cyprus has rejected Kosovo's declaration of independence and, given the ICJ ruling that Kosovo's declaration of independence was not illegal, stating that Kosovo and Northern Cyprus were not analogous situations.[31]
Kyrgyzstan
In 2008 Kyrgyzstan earthquake, Northern Cyprus helped Kyrgyzstan and granted tents, blankets, tons of food, construction materials (cement, covering slate, timber and bricks), power generators, wood stoves, and warm clothes.[32] In 2016, a common Turkish Cypriot–Kyrgyz business cooperation forum was held in Kyrgyzstan.[33]
On 4 August 2023, the signing of a memorandum of understanding on higher education was agreed between Northern Cyprus and Pakistan.[40]
On 8 November 2023, the President of TRNC, Ersin Tatar met with Pakistan's Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar in Tashkent, during the XVI. ECO Summit.[41]
Russia
In February 2008, Vladimir V. Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, equated the Northern Cyprus situation with that resulting from a unilateral Kosovo declaration of independence, which he opposes, in order to point out European countries' double standards in their desire to recognize Kosovo region as an independent state.[42]
On 2 September 2008, the Russian Ambassador to Turkey announced that if Turkey recognized the Georgian breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia would recognize the TRNC as an independent country.[43] Later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected this variant.[44]
The TRNC fully supports Turkey's bid to join the European Union. As part of this bid, Turkey signed a protocol extending its customs union to the new EU members, including the Republic of Cyprus, which Turkey does not recognise.[citation needed] Turkey made sure this was not tantamount to recognition with the inclusion of a declaration, stipulating their continued policy of non-recognition of what they describe as the "Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus" until a settlement is reached. This declaration is not accepted by the EU which did not accept this statement as forming part of the acquis and expects Turkey to fully abide to its obligations against the Republic of Cyprus. The TRNC views any move by the EU to force Turkish recognition of the Republic of Cyprus as an effort to cut them off from their base of support.[47]
The UK maintains a dialogue with the Turkish Cypriot community, although still does not recognize Northern Cyprus.[50]
On 3 February 2017, UK's High Court ruled that "There was no duty in UK law upon the Government to refrain from recognising Northern Cyprus. The United Nations itself works with Northern Cyprus law enforcement agencies and facilitates co-operation between the two parts of the island."[51] Turkish Cypriot governmental officials declared that Northern Cyprus must be ready to Brexit since EU acquis will not be binding on UK thereby UK and Northern Cyprus can trade just as pre-1994 ECtHR ruling.
The United States abstained in a vote in 1984 in the UN Security Council condemning "secessionist activities" on Cyprus.[52] A Northern Cyprus Representative Office is located in Washington, D.C. The Representative Office in New York City is the de factomission of the TRNC to the United Nations Organisation (as well as a de facto Consulate-General).
On 9 October 2014, the USA's Federal Court stated that "the TRNC purportedly operates as a democratic republic with a president, prime minister, legislature and judiciary".[53][54][55]
In 2022, Northern Cyprus became an observer member of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) with its official name "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus".[71] The TRNC President, Ersin Tatar, participated at the Ankara Extraordinary Summit of the Organization on 17 March 2023.[72] He also received the Secretary General of the OTS on 22 September 2023 at New York, during the 78th UNGA.[73]
Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all other states to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.
Mehmet Ali Talat is a Turkish Cypriot politician who served as the president of Northern Cyprus from 2005 to 2010. Talat was the leader of the social democratic Republican Turkish Party, from 1996 to 2005 and 2015 to 2016. He became prime minister in 2004, and subsequently won the presidential election held on 17 April 2005. Talat was inaugurated on 25 April 2005, succeeding retiring leader Rauf Denktaş. He lost the presidential election of 2010 and was replaced by Derviş Eroğlu as President.
The declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was a unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) from the Republic of Cyprus by the Turkish Cypriot parliament on 15 November 1983.
The National Unity Party is a political party in Northern Cyprus. The UBP party was founded by Rauf Denktaş on 11 October 1975. The party was in power from its creation until the 2003 elections with the exception of the period from 1994–1996. Ideologically, it has been variously described as conservative, Turkish nationalism, liberal conservative, and national-conservative. The party is positioned on the right-wing of the political spectrum, and it supports a two-state solution to the Cyprus dispute. Until April 2022, the party was a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party, which it had joined in April 2017.
The Politics of Northern Cyprus takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is head of state and the prime minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Assembly of the Republic. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Varosha is the southern quarter of Famagusta, a de jure territory of Cyprus, currently under the control of Northern Cyprus. Varosha has a population of 226 in the 2011 Northern Cyprus census. The area of Varosha is 6.19 km2 (2.39 sq mi).
The president of Northern Cyprus is the head of state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Rauf Denktaş was the first and founding president of Northern Cyprus, and retired in 2005. His position was taken over by Mehmet Ali Talat, followed by Derviş Eroğlu, then Mustafa Akıncı, and the current president, Ersin Tatar.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Northern Cyprus:
The Organization of Turkic States (OTS), formerly called the Turkic Council or the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, is an intergovernmental organization comprising all but one of the internationally recognized Turkic sovereign states: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan; while Hungary, Turkmenistan and Northern Cyprus are observers. Its overarching aim is promoting comprehensive cooperation among the Turkic peoples. First proposed by Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2006, it was founded on 3 October 2009 in Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan. The General Secretariat is located in Turkey's Istanbul.
Suat İrfan Günsel is a Turkish Cypriot property developer, businessman and founder and 100% owner of Cyprus's private Near East University. In 2011, Forbes ranked him as the second richest person in Cyprus and the 1,140th richest person in the world with a net worth of $2 billion.
Presidential elections were held in Northern Cyprus in April 2015. In the first round on 19 April incumbent president and independent candidate Derviş Eroğlu and independent candidate Mustafa Akıncı progressed to the second round. The second round took place on 26 April and was won by Akıncı.
Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu is a Turkish Cypriot politician. He served as a member of the Assembly of the Republic representing the Lefkoşa District between 1998 and 2018. During this time, he was a member of the National Unity Party (UBP) between 1998 and 2010, serving as the leader of the party between 2006 and 2008. He returned to the UBP in 2012 and remained its representative until the end of his tenure as an MP. He served in different ministerial positions, including a five-year tenure as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense between 1998 and 2004.
Mustafa Akıncı is a Turkish Cypriot politician who was the president of Northern Cyprus from April 2015 until October 2020.
Özdil Nami is a British-born Turkish Cypriot politician. He has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Northern Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot Special Representative in the negotiations to solve the Cyprus dispute. He currently serves as the Minister of Economy and Energy of Northern Cyprus.
The two-state solution for the Cyprus dispute refers to the proposed permanent division of the island of Cyprus into a Turkish Cypriot State in the north and a Greek Cypriot State in the south, as opposed to the various proposals for reunification that have been suggested since the island was split into two by the 1974 Turkish invasion. The two-state solution would entail the legalisation of the status quo, where Greek Cypriots govern the southern part of the island and Turkish Cypriots govern the northern part, the latter of which is currently not recognised by any country other than Turkey.
Tufan Erhürman is a Turkish Cypriot academic, lawyer, diplomat and a former Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus. A scholar in public law by profession, he served in the negotiations to solve the Cyprus dispute between 2008 and 2010. He previously worked for the Ministry of Justice of Turkey between 1999 and 2004 and worked for the establishment of the position of ombudsman in Turkey. He is the current leader of Republican Turkish Party. He held the office of Prime Minister beginning January 2018 as the leader of a four-party coalition. The coalition government resigned on 9 May 2019, with Erhürman continuing as Prime Minister until the office was taken over by Ersin Tatar on 22 May 2019.
Ersin Tatar is a Turkish Cypriot politician and the president of Northern Cyprus. He became the prime minister of Northern Cyprus following the collapse of the coalition government of Tufan Erhürman in May 2019 and served until his own election as president. He was also the leader of the National Unity Party (UBP) and served as leader of the opposition.
The TURKPA in full, the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, is an international organization comprising some of the Turkic countries. It was founded on 21 November 2008 in Istanbul. The General Secretariat is in Baku, Azerbaijan. The member countries are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. Hungary and Northern Cyprus are observers.
Presidential elections were held in Northern Cyprus on 11 October 2020 alongside a constitutional referendum, with a run-off held on 18 October 2020. They were originally scheduled to take place on 26 April 2020, but were postponed in March 2020 for six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No candidate won a majority of votes in the first round.
Snap parliamentary elections were held in Northern Cyprus on 23 January 2022. Going into the election, the government was led by Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu of the National Unity Party (UBP). The Sucuoğlu cabinet, was formed in November 2021 and was a minority coalition government of the National Unity Party (UBP) and the Democratic Party (DP). It functioned as a caretaker government until the snap election.
↑ Chet Ramadan (1 September 2023). "Weak British diplomacy helps Russia in the Med". Retrieved 19 September 2023."...This includes new French military bases being established. This is an extremely concerning development as it is a clear violation of the 1960 agreements between Cyprus, Turkey, the UK and Greece."
↑ Presidency of Northern Cyprus 30.11.2022 President Ersin Tatar receives Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia Badara Alieu Joof, who invites President Tatar to The Gambia: "Cooperation between the two countries should be developed in the fields of international relations, tourism and culture as well as education."
↑ Hurriyet 2008[permanent dead link]Dore, the minister of Economy of Guinea, is in Northern Cyprus to meet with Turgay Avci, the minister of Foreign Affairs.
↑ "INTERVIEW: Turkish Cypriot leader says he doesn't see EU as honest broker". Retrieved 29 September 2023. The Russian Embassy has started providing consular services for the Russian citizens in Northern Cyprus. What would be your reaction to that? Tatar (President of Northern Cyprus): It is estimated that there are thousands of Russian citizens and Russian-speaking community in the TRNC and naturally these people need consular services. Therefore, looking from the humanitarian consideration, this decision is long overdue. Countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and Australia have also been providing consular services over many years at TRNC. Thus, this was a necessary and beneficial step for the Russian citizens living in TRNC.
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