Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the Geography of Cyprus, island of Cyprus. It is List of states with limited recognition, recognis ...

is recognised only by Turkey, a country which facilitates many of its contacts with the international community. After it was occupied by

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, Northern Cyprus' relations with the rest of the world were further complicated by a series of

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

resolutions which declared its independence

legally Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

invalid. A 2004 UN Referendum on settling the

Cyprus dispute The Cyprus problem, also known as the Cyprus conflict, Cyprus issue, Cyprus dispute, or Cyprus question, is an ongoing dispute between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot community in the north of the island of Cyprus, where troops of t ...

was accepted by the

Turkish Cypriots Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( or ; ) are so called ethnic Turks originating from Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots are mainly Sunni Muslims. Following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, about 30,000 Turkish settlers were given land onc ...

but

rejected ''Rejected'' is an animated surrealist short comedy film directed by Don Hertzfeldt that was released in 2000. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film the following year at the 73rd Academy Awards, and received 27 a ...

by the

Greek Cypriots Greek Cypriots (, ) are the ethnic Greeks, Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest Ethnolinguistic group, ethnolinguistic community. According to the 2023 census, 719,252 respondents recorded their ethnicity as Greek, forming al ...

. After that, the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

declared its intentions to assist in reducing the economic isolation of Northern Cyprus and began giving aid to the territory. However, due to pressure from

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

and the

Republic of Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the third lar ...

, this aid coming from EU funds cannot be used on Greek Cypriot land and property nor on public bodies. As a result, these funds can be used only on 29 percent of people on the island of Cyprus (those under the '' de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus). There is an embargo against the entity in many areas, decisively affecting its attempts at international contacts and representation.

International recognition

Turkey is the only country which recognises Northern Cyprus. In 1983, both

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

withdrew recognition after

UNSC The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

Resolution 541 amid international pressure. In 2005,

Yahya Jammeh Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh (born 25 May 1965) is a Gambian politician and former soldier, who served as President of the Gambia from 1996 to 2017. He was the Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 1994 ...

, then

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

the Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

, said that his country was ready to recognise the independence of Northern Cyprus. The Cypriot government protested and The Gambia did not recognise the TRNC. The

Nakhichivan Autonomous Republic The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (, ) is a landlocked country, landlocked Enclave and exclave, exclave of the Azerbaijan, Republic of Azerbaijan. The region covers Official portal of Nakhchivan Autonomous RepublicNakhchivan Autonomous Republi ...

(an

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

of Azerbaijan) had issued a resolution in the mid-1990s recognising the TRNC's independence, but

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

itself has yet refrained to officially support this decision due to the

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh (, ; ) is a region in Azerbaijan, covering the southeastern stretch of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. Part of the greater region of Karabakh, it spans the area between Lower Karabakh and Syunik Province, Syunik. Its ter ...

issue. Azerbaijan is sympathetic to the TRNC, but the

could recognise

if Azerbaijan officially recognised the TRNC. Lately high level contacts between

and Northern Cyprus have increased.

Faiz Sucuoğlu Faiz Sucuoğlu (born 27 August 1961) is a Turkish Cypriot politician who was the prime minister of Northern Cyprus from 5 November 2021 to 12 May 2022. Biography Sucuoğlu was born in Polis on 27 August 1961. His father, Mehmet Salih Sucuoğlu ...

, TRNC's Prime Minister at the time expressed his hope in 2022 that Azerbaijan would recognise his country. TRNC Foreign Minister

Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu (born 17 August 1953) is a Turkish Cypriot politician. He served as a member of the Assembly of the Republic representing the Lefkoşa District between 1998 and 2018. During this time, he was a member of the National Unity ...

made a call to the members of OIC on 23 September 2022, at a coordination meeting of the Organization's ministers of foreign affairs, at New York, to recognize his country, only a couple of days after a similar call by the President of Turkey to the international community at the 77th UNGA. Northern Cyprus is recognised by the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

as a part of the Republic of Cyprus, not as an independent country. In July 2024, at the summit of the

Organization of Turkic States The Organization of Turkic States (OTS), formerly called the Turkic Council or the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, is an intergovernmental organization comprising all but one of the internationally recognized Turkic languages, Tur ...

the Azerbaijani President,

Ilham Aliyev Ilham Heydar Oghlu Aliyev (born 24 December 1961) is an Azerbaijani politician who has been the fourth president of Azerbaijan since 2003. He is also the leader of the New Azerbaijan Party since 2005. The son and second child of former Aze ...

congratulated the President of Northern Cyprus,

Ersin Tatar Ersin Tatar (born 7 September 1960) is a Turkish Cypriot politician who has served as the fifth President of Northern Cyprus since 2020. He previously served as the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus following the collapse of Tufan Erhü ...

for the 50 years since the

Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of Cypriot intercommunal violence, intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots, Greek and Turkish Cy ...

and mentioned that the participation in the Turkic summit is a crucial step towards the recognition of Northern Cyprus.

Diplomatic representations

Since the establishment of the TRNC in 1983, only Turkey maintains a resident embassy in Northern Cyprus, and opened a Consulate General in

Famagusta Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime ...

in mid January 2023. The TRNC has an embassy in

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

and

consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a ...

s in several major cities of Turkey. In various other countries, the TRNC has representative offices, some of which are unofficial. Turkey represents the TRNC's interests in countries without such offices. In

North Nicosia North Nicosia or Northern Nicosia ( ; ) refers to the largest settlement and the ''de facto'' capital of Northern Cyprus. It is the northern part of the divided city of Nicosia, and is governed by the Nicosia Turkish Municipality. , North Nicos ...

(the Turkish Cypriot-administered northern half), both the British High Commissioner to Cyprus and the United States

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

to Cyprus have their formal residences, though since these residences had been in use since before 1963, it is not indicative of formal recognition of the TRNC by the United Kingdom or United States. In the same situation are the representative offices maintained by Australia, France, Germany, South Korea. In May 2015, the EU Infopoint office that aims to bring the

closer to the EU, has been inaugurated in

. Honorary Representatives are also appointed by the TRNC in various other cities to represent the TRNC and to assist the primary TRNC Representative Offices. United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, France, Switzerland and Australia have representation offices in Northern Nicosia. As well, Northern Cyprus has a number of representations in other countries with various status.

Foreign minister

The current

Foreign Minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

. He is holding this position for the fourth time, since 1983. Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu.jpg, Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu

Bilateral relations

Azerbaijan

On 9 August 2022,

, the

President of Azerbaijan The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the head of state of the Azerbaijan, Republic of Azerbaijan. The Constitution of Azerbaijan, Constitution states that the president is the embodiment of Executive (government), executive power, co ...

met with TRNC President

Konya Konya is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium. In 19th-century accounts of the city in En ...

and regarded Northern Cyprus officially as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus". Ersin Tatar also visited

on 13-14 October 2023 and met with Aliyev again.

Burkina Faso

On 27 September 2024, Foreign minister of

and Foreign minister of

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...

, Karamako Jean-Marie Traoré, met during margins of the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

Republic of Cyprus

After the

became a member of the

, the southern part of the island became part of the Customs Union of the EU. The

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating ...

part of the island is excluded from the Customs Union. In spite of that, the Green Line regulations are intended to ease trade relations between

and the EU. Oil exploration in East Mediterranean became a problem between the administrations of the

north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and the south side since 2000.

Equatorial Guinea

In 2011 and 2012, the then President of Northern Cyprus

Derviş Eroğlu Derviş Eroğlu (born 7 March 1938) is a Turkish Cypriot politician, who served as the president of Northern Cyprus from 2010Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. It has an area of . Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name refers to its location both near the Equ ...

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (; born 5 June 1942) is an Equatoguinean politician, former commissioned officer, military officer and dictator who has served as the second president of Equatorial Guinea since 1982. Previously, he was the Chairm ...

held meetings in New York, US.

France

In 2023, the president of

, strongly protested France's naval base in the southern part of the island of Cyprus which Northern Cyprus considers illegal.

The Gambia

In 2022, the President of

, received the

Vice President of The Gambia The vice president of the Republic of the Gambia is the second highest political position in the Gambia. The office was created in April 1970, with the passing of the republican Constitution of the Gambia following the republic referendum. Th ...

, Badara Alieu Joof, who invited President Tatar to The Gambia.

Germany

Although Germany does not maintain official relations with

, it has wide-ranging contact with representatives of the Turkish Cypriots.

Greece

In 2014, the-then Turkish Cypriot negotiator

Kudret Özersay Kudret Özersay (born 16 December 1973) is a Turkish Cypriot academic, diplomat and politician. A scholar in international politics by profession, he served in the negotiations to solve the Cyprus dispute between 2002 and 2012 and in 2014. He was ...

and his delegation was received by the Secretary General of the Greek Foreign Ministry,

Anastasios Mitsialis Anastasius (Latinized) or Anastasios () is a masculine given name of Greek origin derived from the Greek word (''anastasis'') meaning "resurrection". Its female form is ''Anastasia'' (). A diminutive form of ''Anastasios'' is ''Tassos'' () or '' ...

Guinea

In 2008, the minister of Economy, Finance and Planning of

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

, Ousmane Doré, visited

and met with

Turgay Avcı Turgay Avcı is the deputy prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He was the Leader of the former Reform Party (Northern Cyprus). Biography Avcı was born in Larnaca in 1959 ...

, the then minister of Foreign Affairs of Northern Cyprus.

Kosovo

On 18 February 2008, the President of the TRNC,

Mehmet Ali Talat Mehmet Ali Talat (born 6 July 1952) is a Turkish Cypriot politician who served as the president of Northern Cyprus from 2005 to 2010. Talat was the leader of the social democratic Republican Turkish Party (, CTP), from 1996 to 2005 and 2015 to ...

, congratulated the people of

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

on their new-found independence, in opposition to the Republic of Cyprus, which has not recognised Kosovo as an independent state. However, presidential spokesman Hasan Ercakica stated that the TRNC was not preparing to officially recognise Kosovo. In contrast, the

has rejected Kosovo's declaration of independence and, given the

ICJ The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that Adjudication, adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on International law, internation ...

ruling that Kosovo's declaration of independence was not illegal, stating that Kosovo and Northern Cyprus were not analogous situations.

Kyrgyzstan

In 2008 Kyrgyzstan earthquake, Northern Cyprus helped

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

and granted tents, blankets, tons of food, construction materials (cement, covering slate, timber and bricks), power generators, wood stoves, and warm clothes. In 2016, a common Turkish Cypriot–Kyrgyz business cooperation forum was held in Kyrgyzstan.

Libya

On 30 October 2011,

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

and

signed the Cooperation on Health Services Protocol. The protocol included to reserve 250 beds at the

Near East University Near East University (NEU; , commonly referred to as YDÜ) is a private university located in Northern Cyprus. It was founded in North Nicosia in 1988, by Suat Günsel, a Turkish Cypriot who is the 100% owner of NEU. The chairman of the board o ...

hospital in

for the treatment of injured Libyans.

Malaysia

On 5 August 2023, Malaysia allowed the

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a '' de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all o ...

to open a trade office in Malaysia.

Pakistan

In February 2017, the president of

Mustafa Akıncı Mustafa Akıncı (; born 28 December 1947) is a Turkish Cypriots, Turkish Cypriot politician who was the president of Northern Cyprus from April 2015 until October 2020. An architect by profession, Akıncı in 1976 became the first elected mayor ...

was received by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Mamnoon Hussain Mamnoon Hussain (; 23 December 1940 – 14 July 2021) was a Pakistani politician and industrialist who served as the 12th president of Pakistan from 2013 to 2018. He was first appointed Governor of Sindh in June 1999 by President Rafiq Tarar ...

. On 4 August 2023, the signing of a memorandum of understanding on higher education was agreed between

and

. On 8 November 2023, the President of TRNC, Ersin Tatar met with Pakistan's Prime Minister

Anwaar ul Haq Kakar Anwaar ul-Haq Kakar (born 1971) is a Pakistani politician who served as the longest-serving Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, caretaker prime minister of Pakistan between 14 August 2023 and 4 March 2024. He was succeeded by his predecessor Sh ...

Tashkent Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...

, during the XVI. ECO Summit.

Russia

In February 2008, Vladimir V. Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, equated the Northern Cyprus situation with that resulting from a unilateral Kosovo declaration of independence, which he opposes, in order to point out European countries' double standards in their desire to recognize Kosovo region as an independent state. On 2 September 2008, the Russian Ambassador to Turkey announced that if Turkey recognized the Georgian breakaway regions of

South Ossetia South Ossetia, officially the Republic of South Ossetia or the State of Alania, is a landlocked country in the South Caucasus with International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, partial diplomatic recognition. It has an offici ...

and

Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...

, Russia would recognize the TRNC as an independent country. Later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected this variant. In September 2023, Russia started consular services in

Turkey

The TRNC fully supports Turkey's bid to join the European Union. As part of this bid, Turkey signed a protocol extending its

customs union A customs union is generally defined as a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a common external tariff.GATTArticle 24 s. 8 (a) Customs unions are established through trade pacts where the participant countries set u ...

to the new EU members, including the Republic of Cyprus, which Turkey does not recognise. Turkey made sure this was not tantamount to recognition with the inclusion of a declaration, stipulating their continued policy of non-recognition of what they describe as the "Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus" until a settlement is reached. This declaration is not accepted by the EU which did not accept this statement as forming part of the acquis and expects Turkey to fully abide to its obligations against the Republic of Cyprus. The TRNC views any move by the EU to force Turkish recognition of the Republic of Cyprus as an effort to cut them off from their base of support. On 21 September 2011,

and

signed the EEZ border agreement in New York.

United Kingdom

The UK maintains a dialogue with the Turkish Cypriot community, although still does not recognize

. On 3 February 2017, UK's High Court ruled that "There was no duty in UK law upon the Government to refrain from recognising Northern Cyprus. The United Nations itself works with Northern Cyprus law enforcement agencies and facilitates co-operation between the two parts of the island." Turkish Cypriot governmental officials declared that Northern Cyprus must be ready to

Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...

since EU acquis will not be binding on UK thereby UK and Northern Cyprus can trade just as pre-1994 ECtHR ruling.

United States

The United States abstained in a vote in 1984 in the UN Security Council condemning "secessionist activities" on Cyprus. A Northern Cyprus Representative Office is located in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

The Representative Office in New York City is the ''de facto''

mission Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

of the TRNC to the

Organisation (as well as a ''de facto'' Consulate-General). On 9 October 2014, the

USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

's Federal Court stated that "the

TRNC Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a '' de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all o ...

purportedly operates as a democratic republic with a president, prime minister, legislature and judiciary". On 28 September 2021, Minister of Foreign Affairs of

had meetings with members of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, Congressman Peter Sessions and Congressman

Steve Chabot Steven Joseph Chabot ( ; born January 22, 1953) is an American politician and lawyer who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2009 and again from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party (United States), R ...

, respectively. On 3 August 2023, US Congressman and former chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee,

Pete Sessions Peter Anderson Sessions (born March 22, 1955) is an American politician who serves in the United States House of Representatives for Texas's 17th congressional district as a member of the Republican Party. He chaired the House Rules Committee ...

, visited

. Sessions met with President

; he visited the Turkish Cypriot parliament building where he was met by Parliamentary Speaker Zorlu Töre, and the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce.

Membership in international organisations

In 1979,