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History

The Public Information Office was established to make the voice of the Turkish Cypriots heard across the world. Greek Cypriots, who occupied all government bodies of the Republic of Cyprus in 1963 also occupied its means of communication, such as Radio, Television, the News Agency and Public Information Office,  despite the Republic being established in the principle of partnership. This prevented the voice of the Turkish Cypriots from being heard within the country and over the world.

The then Deputy President of the Republic of Cyprus Dr. Fazıl Küçük stressed the necessity of establishing a Public Information Centre, in order to make announcements about events taking place on the island and meet the information needs of the Turkish Cypriot people. As a result, Necati Sağer, the TRNC representative in the UK at the time, was called back to the island, to set up the Turkish Cypriot Public Information Centre. The Centre was officially established in 1964 under the supervision of the Deputy Presidency and the General Committee.

The Turkish Cypriot Public Information Centre, which conducted its works under great challenges and lack of personnel, compiled daily news and information, and issued a regular bulletin to amplify the voice of the Turkish Cypriot people to the whole world. These were produced at the printing house of the HALKIN SESİ newspaper, and were distributed to the foreign press in Lefkoşa, to members of the UN, and to the world through the Turkish Embassy in Lefkoşa. A “Special News Bulletin” which was first published and distributed in English on 21 December 1963, was sent to the foreign missions and journalists in order to put forward the Turkish Cypriot position, particularly on the Cyprus problem and to give information about political, social and economic life in that period. Publication of the Special News Bulletin ceased in 1986.

The Akritas Plan, which was made by the Greeks in order to destroy the Turkish Cypriots in the island, was translated into Turkish and English by the Turkish Cypriot Public Information Centre and was distributed internationally.

The Turkish Cypriot Public Information Centre which provided a window to the external world for the Turkish Cypriots  has developed over the course of time and became an office to provide a flow of information after the 1974 Peace Operation. The “Public Information Office Law” was approved at the TRNC Assembly in 1988, and the Office gained its current status.