President Tayyip Erdogan delivered a speech on August 24th at the Aksaz Naval Base in Marmaris, vowing to further strengthen Turkey’s navy and army. The impressive TCG Anadolu, Turkey’s first amphibious assault ship, served as a backdrop. Anadolu had just returned to Aksaz after participating in a joint military exercise with the United States in
President Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were in Cyprus on July 20, on the same occasion but for completely different reasons. For Erdoğan and Türkiye, July 20, 2024, marked the 50th anniversary of the “Peace Operation”, as Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit called it in 1974 to liberate the Island’s Turks from massacres.
Reading the open letter by UN Cyprus Special Representative María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, one cannot help but savor the irony. After six months of effort, Holguín concludes that we must “think differently” to solve the Cyprus problem. Really? Did it take six months to grasp a truth that has been glaringly obvious for decades? On
The Cyprus negotiations, a process that has not reached a solution for many years, continues to be the scene of deep divisions and political rivalries between the two communities. The 3D (direct flights, direct trade, direct contact) demand repeatedly voiced by the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ersin Tatar to the
Recent political developments in Türkiye and Cyprus reveal efforts to shift away from long-standing polarization towards a more normalized political environment. Following the local elections in Türkiye, a process has been initiated between the ruling AKP and the main opposition CHP. A similar process is taking place in Cyprus, where the AKP has re-established contact
The most important outcome expected from the May 13 visit of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Ankara as the guest of President Tayyip Erdoğan will be to avoid any unpleasantness. Yes, a series of protocols and agreements are on the table to fulfill the “Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness” signed by
Ersin Tatar, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, said that from now on they will not sit at the table for any agreement that does not envisage the “sovereign equality” of the Turkish Cypriot people. Stating that there cannot be a “Cyprus crisis” as claimed and that they do not rise to the
Following the news that Russia will establish a consular office in the territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Greek Cypriots are in a distress asking whether the TRNC is recognized by Russia. “We will begin providing consular services in the northern part of the city of Nicosia in the near future. We
European Commission’s 2022 Turkey observation report entered Turkey’s agenda and exited almost at the same time it was published, mainly because it carves the contentious issues in the EU’s favour and the righteous determinations and criticism of the report get to be officially ignored. While the penultimate statement in the report that “Turkey is a
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Friday that Turkey will respond to the United States’ recent decision to lift the arms embargo on Cyprus “with tangible steps” accusing the US to escalate tensions in the island with the decision. “We will respond to the USA’s decision with tangible steps. As upon your (US’s) wish
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