Foreign relations of Northern Cyprus

The Cyprus issue has long been a taboo in Turkey, and Cyprus is still a matter of national interest that is not to be discussed freely. Apart from legal and psychological pressures, this taboo has been created by the nationalism of the left and right.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is ?an independent state? and it?s ?not appropriate?

Everyone, from Greek Cypriot counterpart Nikos Anastasiades and party leaders to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu, and the diplomatic community stationed in Cyprus, including British and American ambassadors as well as executives of the United Nations Cyprus team, celebrated president-elect Mustafa Ak?nc?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an sent a congratulatory message to Mustafa Ak?nc?, the winner of the Turkish Cyprus presidential election, prompting renewed optimism for reunification of the island. In his message, Erdo?an indirectly urged the leftist former mayor that ?it was not possible to run after a solution to the Cyprus question at any price.? 

Greek Cypriots welcomed the election of a moderate Turkish Cypriot leader in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on April 27, saying they anticipated a swift resumption of stalled peace talks.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday that the division of Cyprus was begging for an international solution and progress in peace talks was possible this year.

Speaking before a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the State Department, Kerry said the dispute over ethnically split Cyprus had gone on for too long.

Some 177,000 Turkish Cypriots went to the polling booths April 19 to vote to elect a president that would lead the tiny Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in talks with Greek Cypriots, expected to resume next month, to achieve a federal resolution.

Voters in the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) went to the polls on April 19 to elect their new leader from seven candidates including incumbent Dervis Eroglu.

Turkey has entered the election frenzy for the June 7 parliamentary elections, the outcome of which perhaps will shape not only the life of Turks but also the place of Turkey in the global political game.

Last weekend I was at a rather interesting Cyprus seminar. The meeting itself was a very important one as the Strategic Research Institute (USAK), in cooperation with the Cyprus Academic Dialogue brought together Turkish, Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot academics, journalists, and of course some senior politicians in Ankara.