Foreign relations of Northern Cyprus

Defying relevant UN resolutions and the decades-old agreed premise for a solution to Cyprus' division, the representative of the Turkish Ministry of Defense, Zeki Ozturk, insisted on a two-state solution on Thursday. 

Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar announced on Thursday he is transferring control of the Gecitkale air base in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus to the Turkish Army to serve as a deployment hub for unmanned aircraft.

In a televised interview with the 24TV network, Tatar said the "parliament" of the entity, which is only recognized by Ankara, approved the move.

Good relations between Greece and Turkey are a necessary condition for the improvement of Euro-Turkish ties, Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said on Saturday at the informal Gymnich meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

The European Union is ready to support United Nations-backed efforts to resume Cyprus peace talks, Belgian Ambassador to Cyprus Marc Calcoen told the Cyprus News Agency, as his country prepares to assume the bloc's six-month rotating presidency on January 1. 

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler has advocated for a two-state solution as the only viable resolution to the longstanding conflict on the divided island of Cyprus.

Türkiye and Turkish Cypriot forces have carried out their 19th annual joint search and rescue exercise near the Saint Hilarion Castle on the Kyrenia mountain range.

Nicosia reiterated on Thursday that it will not stand for any moves that cast doubt on the status of the UN-controlled buffer zone through which the Turkish Cypriots illegally tried to build a road last week and physically assaulted international peacekeepers who tried to obstruct them.

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Saturday described as "essential" the construction of a road which has triggered rare tension with United Nations peacekeepers on the divided island.

The authorities in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus must "immediately withdraw all personnel and equipment from the UN buffer zone," three members of the US Congress have said, after Turkish Cypriots assaulted a number of international peacekeepers for obstructing construction teams building a road that would encroach on the buffer zone.

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler has reassured the public that Türkiye's commitment to peace, stability and cooperation in Cyprus and the Mediterranean will persist, while emphasizing the protection of national interests during the pursuit of a solution to the longstanding issue.