Turkish President Erdoğan: “Recognition of the TRNC is the only step towards resolving the issue”

The President of Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the recognition of the TRNC as an independent state is the only and most effective step that will contribute to the solution of the Cyprus problem and that they do not accept any other option.

President Erdoğan said that they are determined to protect the rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to the end pursuant to the guarantor rights recognised by international law.

 In an interview with journalists at the Turkevi Centre (Turkish House) in New York at the conclusion of his U.S. visit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said:

“Our stance on the Cyprus issue has been clear for quite some time. It is now evident that the federation formulas are unrealistic and will not function. Denying this reality is nothing more than imposing a deadlock on the Island. We strived to find a two-state, fair, and permanent solution in Cyprus. We called on our interlocutors to ensure this. We also called on the international community. Recognition of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus as an independent state is the only and most effective step towards resolving the Cyprus issue. We do not recognise any other options. We are committed to preserving the rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus until the end, under the right to act as guarantors accorded to us by international law. We expect that the path opened through the TRNC’s membership as an observer state in the Organisation of Turkic States will be followed. The recognition of TRNC as an independent state by one nation after another contributes to peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. The effective steps to be taken towards the full protection of the TRNC’s rights and its integration into the international system constitute our next road map.”