Tatar warns Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan for creating ties with south Cyprus

TRNC President Ersin Tatar has urged Turkic states to act with greater caution in their relations with south Cyprus, following a recent cooperation agreement signed with the European Union.

Tatar's remarks came after Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan sent envoys to Cyprus (south) and endorsed U.N. resolutions that condemn the declaration of the foundation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and call on U.N. member states not to recognize it. The EU earlier announced a 12 billion euros investment package for Central Asia in return.

While acknowledging progress in bilateral ties with these countries, Tatar argued that the EU’s renewed interest in Central Asia — a region it had long overlooked — is not coincidental.

He claimed the main objective behind the agreement is to block Northern Cyprus, which has been an observer member of the Organization of Turkic States since 2022, from gaining further legitimacy.

Reiterating the Turkish position that supports a two-state solution on the island, Tatar said his country expects Turkic states to establish relations with Northern Cyprus on a level comparable to those with the Greek Cypriot side.

Tatar also drew attention to clauses in the recent deal that cite U.N. resolutions on Cyprus, suggesting these elements may have been overlooked by Turkic states. “Do they understand the long-term implications of these articles, and whom they ultimately benefit?” he asked.

“Turkic states should be more vigilant in their interactions with the Greek Cypriots,” Tatar stated. “Engaging with the EU is natural, but the union is not governed by a population of merely 800,000 Greek Cypriots.”

The Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.