Turkish president hails Northern Cyprus’ observer status in Organization of Turkic States

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish president on Friday hailed the observer status granted to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the Organization of Turkic States.

“Family photo was completed with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) becoming an observer member of the Organization of Turkic States,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said over the phone with the Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar.

According to a statement by the Turkish Communication Directorate, Erdogan told Tatar that “they will continue the struggle together in line with the historic call he made to the international community for the recognition of the TRNC in his address to the United Nations General Assembly.”

Erdogan once again conveyed his congratulations on the 39th anniversary of the founding of the TRNC.

The Organization of Turkic States is an interstate bloc, established with the aim of expanding cooperation between Turkic-speaking countries in the fields of politics, economics, science, education, transport, and tourism.

Its members are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan.

Hungary and Turkmenistan also have observer status.

Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the TRNC’s admission to the organization as an observer member.

- Cyprus issue

The island has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts 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 of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. 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 UK.

The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the EU in 2004, the same year when Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.