Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu attends 7th Meeting of the Ministers and High Officials in Charge of Media and Information of OTS

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu attended the 7th Meeting of the Ministers and High Officials in Charge of Media and Information of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) took place in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

In his speech at the meeting, Minister Ertuğruloğlu reiterated the Turkish Cypriot people’s demand for a realistic agreement based on sovereign equality and equal international status as equal owners of the island.

Ertuğruloğlu emphasized that Bayrak Radio, established during the Greek Cypriot attacks in the 1960s and 1970s, symbolizes the struggle for survival and the resilience of the Turkish Cypriots. He noted that media and information are not abstract concepts for Turkish Cypriots but form an integral part of their collective memory.

The Minister also highlighted that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has endured decades of inhumane isolation and unjust embargoes, and stressed that preventing young people, athletes, and academics from participating in international platforms constitutes a fundamental human rights issue.

Pointing out that these restrictions on the Turkish Cypriot people have been exacerbated by one-sided narratives and disinformation, Minister Ertuğruloğlu called for strengthening capacity within OTS mechanisms and regional media networks, in collaboration with TRNC institutions that possess historical experience, and for intensifying joint efforts to counter disinformation and propaganda.

During his official contacts in Baku, Minister Ertuğruloğlu was accompanied by the Undersecretary of the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mustafa Lakadamyalı, TRNC Representative to Baku, Ambassador Ufuk Turganer, Third Secretary Görkem Reis and Press and Information Officer Mert Efekan.