TRNC and Türkiye Reject EU Cyprus Narrative as “Distorted and Exclusionary”

The President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has issued a firm response to developments surrounding the Greek Cypriot administration’s assumption of the EU Council presidency, warning that efforts to marginalise the Turkish Cypriot people would not go unanswered.

In a statement published by the TRNC Presidency, Tufan Erhürman said attempts to act as if Turkish Cypriots do not exist only deepen the divide on the island:

“They try to act as if the Turkish Cypriots do not exist. We will not ignore those who try to ignore us. On this island, the Turkish Cypriot people existed, exist today, and will continue to exist.”

Erhürman said the Cyprus issue cannot be advanced through platforms that present a single authority as speaking for the entire island, arguing that exclusion hardens the very deadlock it claims to resolve.

“You cannot reach a solution by pretending one of the two peoples of this island does not exist. Every step built on exclusion reinforces the status quo it claims to oppose.”

The EU Presidency Dispute

The TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed that message, describing the Greek Cypriot administration’s EU presidency as “a new manifestation of the European Union’s distorted approach to the Cyprus issue.”

The ministry said presenting the Greek Cypriot side as representing the island as a whole contradicts political realities and established UN parameters:

“The Greek Cypriot administration does not represent the island of Cyprus or the Turkish Cypriot people. Treating it as such ignores the political equality of the two sides and entrenches injustice.”

It added that initiatives carried out under the EU presidency risk cementing an imbalanced framework that excludes Turkish Cypriots from decisions affecting their future.

“This Island Has Two Peoples”

In remarks reported by the Turkish Cypriot TAK Agency, Erhürman reiterated that the Turkish Cypriot presence is not a historical footnote but a continuing political reality:

“On this island, there was a Turkish Cypriot people, there is a Turkish Cypriot people, and there will continue to be a Turkish Cypriot people.”

He said international actors should engage with that reality rather than rely on formulas that bypass one side of the island.

Ankara’s Position

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry also weighed in, issuing a statement through its spokesperson Öncü Keçeli.

The statement criticised speeches delivered during events marking the Greek Cypriot administration’s EU presidency, saying they reflected an approach that disregards the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot people:

“The Greek Cypriot administration does not have the authority to represent the island of Cyprus as a whole. Ignoring the Turkish Cypriot people and their rights undermines the foundations of a just and lasting settlement.”

Ankara said the EU’s long-standing posture on Cyprus damages its credibility as an impartial actor and reaffirmed its support for the rights and sovereign equality of Turkish Cypriots.

Where the File Now Stands

The statements from the TRNC and Türkiye converge on a single point: initiatives that frame the Cyprus issue through one authority or narrative deepen mistrust rather than move the process forward. Officials on both sides insist that any viable path must begin with recognition of political equality and inclusion, warning that attempts to normalise exclusion will only entrench existing divisions.