Turkish National Security Council reiterates Türkiye’s position on Cyprus

The Turkish National Security Council (NSC) reaffirmed Cyprus’s two-state solution, advocating for Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality and international recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

A declaration was issued after the meeting of NSC held at the Presidential Complex under the chairmanship of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In the declaration, the following statements were made regarding Cyprus and the Mediterranean:

“Our firm commitment to resolving the Cyprus issue, which is our national cause, through a two-state solution based on the Turkish Cypriot people’s sovereign equality and equal international status, as well as the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as an equal member of the international community, will be maintained.

Türkiye’s Cyprus Peace Operation ensures 50 years of peace and security on island, affirming its legitimacy,” the National Security Council said.

It was stated in the declaration that the island of Cyprus 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. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

The rejection of a U.N. peace plan by Greek Cypriot voters in a 2004 referendum meant the Greek Cypriot administration entered the European Union that year still as a divided island, with Turkish Cypriots denied the full benefits of membership.

The Council added: “Türkiye will prioritize dialogue in Aegean and Mediterranean regions and will not allow its constructive approach to be exploited.”