The 34th Regional Planning Council Meeting of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation (ECO) was held in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on 22-25 January, 2024.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was represented by Mustafa Kemal Beyazbayram, Director of Relations with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation of the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Third Secretary Görkem Reis and Assistant Planning Expert from the State Planning Organisation Hürol Üşümüş.

Mustafa Beyazbayram also made a speech at the opening session of the meeting and expressed his suggestions on the possibility of our country hosting an ECO event in 2024.

Minister Ertuğruloğlu emphasized that the definition of the Cyprus problem is “the recognition of the Greek Cypriot side as the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ ” and said, “It is never realistic to talk about the solution of the Cyprus problem as long as there is no consensus of the relevant parties on this definition.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu spoke at the “Eastern Mediterranean Energy Summit” organized at the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce.

Ertuğruloğlu pointed out that the Greek Cypriots, with the support of other countries, recklessly use this recognition against the Turkish Cypriots and said that the energy issue is one of them.

Reminding that the United Nations Secretary General has appointed a personal envoy who will begin his contacts on the island next week, Ertuğruloğlu told that the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides have different approaches on the issue.

Ertuğruloğlu expressed and criticized that the Greek Cypriot side has desire to hear from the personal envoy that there are grounds to continue the negotiation process that collapsed in Crans Montana in 2017 and to start negotiations on the base of federation partnership.

Adding that the matter of federation is now closed for the Turkish Cypriot side after the failure of the Crans Montana talks, Ertuğruloğlu said “It would be naive to expect different results by repeating the same things. Therefore, a federal partnership is out of the question.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu noted that the approval they gave for the appointment of the personal envoy for 6 months does not mean any change in the new state policies and said “The inequality of status created between the two sides is the only reason why a permanent settlement to the Cyprus problem cannot be reached. The possibility of the two former partners forming a new partnership to create a single state has now completely removed. The future lies in the existence of two sovereign equal states in good neighborly relations.”

TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu strongly criticised Irfan Siddiq, the British High Commissioner to Southern Cyprus. The Minister noted that Siddiq, who not only exceeded the limits of diplomatic courtesy, but also made a habit of exceeding the limits of decency, started to perceive insulting the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriot as a virtue.

Minister Ertugruloglu strongly reacted to Siddiq’s remarks and said, “Siddiq with his statements, is acting like a member of ELAM, more Greek Cypriot than a Greek Cypriot. Instead of following a well-balanced policy, due to being a Pakistan origin, he is endeavoring to look nice to the Greek Cypriot side”.

Ertuğruloğlu pointed out that it was not possible for a diplomat who ignored the facts of the Cyprus issue to have any kind of contribution to the process, adding that blaming Turkish Cypriot people for not sharing the same ideas as them was not going to take them anywhere.

Quoting the Commissioner’s statement that claimed the two sides’ interest had not changed since both had shown interest in federation before, Ertugruloglu said, “This statement shows how distance he is to understand the issue”

He said the Greek Cypriot side, since being recognized as the sole representative of the Cyprus Republic had not been interested in the Federation. “It’s you who created and fueled the problem. It’s you who is still treating Greek Cypriots as the Republic of Cyprus. On the other side, you are cursing Turkish Cypriots who are putting up a struggle with pride. This is rudeness, waywardness and lack of diplomatic courtesy”

The Minister also stated that there would be no ground for renewed negotiations unless the United Nations corrected a 60-year mistake, which is to treat Turkish Cypriots as part of a state and Greek Cypriots as the state.

Ertugruloglu said Siddiq “exceeded both diplomatic and etiquette boundaries by interfering in the internal affairs of the TRNC.”

He accused Siddiq of attempting to incite the public, saying: “There is no return to the federation model; we have closed that chapter. You insult the Turkish Cypriot people who resist treating the Greek Cypriots as ‘the Republic of Cyprus.’ This impertinence is devoid of diplomatic courtesy.”

He rejected any return to the federation model and asserted that the TRNC is a “reality” independent of Siddiq’s approval and will be recognized by other countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu received the Chairman of the Türkiye -TRNC Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, Konya Deputy Orhan Erdem and members of the group.

During the meeting which was also attended by Metin Feyzioğlu, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkoşa, views were exchanged on the new vision of the TRNC, which envisages sovereign equality and our national cause.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu received the Chairman of the Türkiye -TRNC Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, Konya Deputy Orhan Erdem and members of the group.

During the meeting which was also attended by Metin Feyzioğlu, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkoşa, views were exchanged on the new vision of the TRNC, which envisages sovereign equality and our national cause.

• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has given its consent to the appointment of a Personal Envoy by the United Nations Secretary-General. In this regard, the Turkish Cypriot side has clearly put on record its expectation that the Personal Envoy of the UNSG, Ms. Maria Angela Holguin Cuéllar, who will assume her duties in a short time, will conclude her duty of determining whether common ground exists between the two sides on the island, within 6 months’ time.

• It is a well-known fact that there exist no common ground between the two sides on the island. Greek Cypriot side has been deceiving the international community by paying lip service to a so-called “federation” model for the last 50 years in order to play for time.

• Cyprus Conference which was held in Crans-Montana, Switzerland in 2017 was considered as a “last ditch effort” to solve the Cyprus issue by all the relevant parties involved. At the Conference, Greek Cypriot side rejected, once again, the notion of sharing power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriot side. Thus, with the failure of the Cyprus Conference, the possibility of reaching an agreement based on the “bi-zonal, bi-communal federation model” in Cyprus has also ceased to exist.

• In the aftermath of the failure of the Cyprus Conference, UN Secretary-General called on the parties to think and develop ideas “outside the box”. In line with the calls of the UNSG’, the Turkish Cypriot side has developed a new vision and accordingly announced it to the international community at the 5+UN informal meeting held in Geneva on 27-29 April, 2021.

• The Turkish Cypriot side is of the view that a new cooperation model should be established on the island, which will take into account the realities on the ground, i.e. the existence of two independent and sovereign States.

• TRNC’s new vision essentially envisages the acknowledgement and reaffirmation of the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, namely sovereign equality and the equal international status of their State.
• This new vision sets a new basis on the prospects of formal negotiations where both sides would engage in a mutually agreeable cooperative relationship based on good neighbourly relations.

• TRNC’s new vision envisages a brand new negotiation process that would not “continue from where it was left off”. It emphasizes that a new process could only start if the inequality of status between the two sides is rectified.

• Therefore, we sincerely believe that 6 months would be a sufficient period of time for the Personal Envoy of the UNSG to determine whether common ground exists or not between the two sides on the island.

• At the end of her tenure, we expect from the Personal Envoy to provide a report which must present, in a clear and impartial manner, the realities on the island as well as whether a common ground exists between the two sides. The report must also include realistic suggestions regarding steps that could be taken in the future.

• Our approval to the appointment of the Personal Envoy of the UNSG does not, in any way, mean that there is any change in the new vision and policy of the TRNC.

• The call made by H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, to the international community on the margins of the UN General Assembly for the past two years is a clear proof of this determined attitude.

• We believe that the appointment of a Personal Envoy presents us with an opportunity to put on record once again our new vision vis-à-vis the Cyprus issue.

TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu issued a message to mark the 60th anniversary of Bayrak Radio Television Corporation (BRTK), established on 25 December 1963.

In his message, the Minister congratulated those who have contributed to the establishment of BRTK and those who have always kept the ‘flag’ of the Turkish Cypriot struggle for existence, and also thanked the Republic of Türkiye for its contributions to BRTK.

Stating that BRTK, which continues its broadcasts today with 3 television channels, 6 radio station, foreign language broadcasts and digital facilities, has a pioneering role in the Turkish Cypriot press, Ertuğruloğlu congratulated the 60th anniversary of the institution and said, “I wish BRTK continued success in its broadcasting mission, which started with the mission of being the voice of the mujahids, without compromising its founding mission”.