Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu addresses OTS Informal Meeting in New York

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu addressed the informal meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in New York on 26 September 2026. The statement delivered by Minister Ertuğruloğlu is as follows:

“It is a distinct honour to address the informal meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States. At the outset, I wish to convey the heartfelt greetings from the Turkish Cypriot people and the government of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

I would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Ambassador Kubaniçbek Ömüraliyev, the Secretary General, and the dedicated staff of the Secretariat for their outstanding efforts in organizing this meeting.

Since we joined the Organization of Turkic States as an observer member at the Samarkand Summit in November 2022, we have taken our righteous place in the Turkic world. We continue to integrate actively with the key Turkic cooperation organizations, including TÜRKPA, Turkic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, TÜRKSOY, Türk-ay, the Council of Elderly and Turkic Academy.

We maintain a consistent involvement in the meetings of the Council of Elders, the permanent consultative body of the OTS. In May 2025, our country hosted the 17th Meeting of the OTS Council of Elders, with the participation of all member states.

Moreover, at the 8th General Assembly Meeting of the Union of Turkic Universities, the Academic Cooperation Platform of the OTS, held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 15 October 2025, the membership applications of seven TRNC universities were accepted. The membership process for four additional universities that submitted their applications this year is expected to be completed in due course. Your support towards this end will be highly appreciated.

Furthermore, since becoming an observer member of the Turkic Academy in November 2025, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has been participating regularly in its activities and is preparing to host an event entitled “Turkic Economies Report 2025” in October 2026, in Lefkoşa.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is fully committed to maximizing its observer status and contributing actively to all areas of our organization. Enhanced visibility for the TRNC under the OTS roof will not only strengthen the Organisation but also forge deeper bonds across the Turkic world.

However, due to the international community’s biased policies in favor of the Greek Cypriot side, along with the inhuman embargoes and unjustified isolation imposed upon the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot people, our youth, athletes, artists, and academicians are being excluded from global participations. Therefore, the solidarity of the OTS member states is vital for striving the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot people.

In this context, we look to our brotherly Turkic States to help reinforce the TRNC’s role within the Organization and support our rightful place on the international stage. We stand ready to contribute across the board- from economic and trade cooperation to joint cultural, educational and tourism initiatives.

Until now, with the unwavering support of our motherland, the Republic of Türkiye, we have fought hard to overcome the severe impacts of the inhuman and illegal isolation imposed on our country and people. We deeply appreciate the support of our Turkic brothers and sisters, as we prepare to participate as an observer member in the upcoming 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, scheduled for 30th October in Ankara, Türkiye.

In 2021, the Turkish Cypriot side officially withdrew its consent from the outdated and repeatedly failed “federation” model. Since then, we have advocated for a new basis for negotiations with a view to establishing a cooperative relationship between the two existing independent states, upon the formal acknowledgement of their inherent sovereign equality and equal international status.

We, as the Turkish Cypriot side, remain fully committed to a settlement built upon the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two distinct states, as there exist two peoples on the island with two different nationalities, languages, and religions, each exercising sovereignty over their own territories. It is, therefore, high time that the international community recognizes the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to extend an invitation to the Secretary General and esteemed ministers to the TRNC. We will be honoured to host you at an event that will be organized by the Organization of the Turkic States in the TRNC.”