EU 'rejects' Northern Cyprus observer status in organization of Turkic states
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “thanked” OET members for “accepting the Republic of Northern Cyprus as an observer member” although not all members of the organization have confirmed this membership .
AP - Vyacheslav Prokofyev
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The European Union "
rejected
", on Saturday 12 November, Turkey's declarations on the accession of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as an observer member of the Organization of Turkic States (OET), denouncing "
any action aimed at facilitating
(...)
the international recognition of the Turkish Cypriot secessionist entity
".
Advertising
Read more
During an OET summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “
thanked
” the members of this organization for having “
accepted the Republic of Northern Cyprus as an observer member
”.
However, the other members of the OET had not confirmed this membership.
Uzbekistan, host country of the summit, and Kazakhstan even throwing uncertainty on the Turkish announcement, without however formally denying it.
"
This decision, pending ratification by the members of the Organization, is regrettable and contradicts the fact that several members of the Organization have expressed their strong support for the principle of territorial integrity and the Charter of the United Nations
", said Peter Stano, spokesman for the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, in a press release.
“
Any action aimed at facilitating or assisting in any way the international recognition of the secessionist Turkish Cypriot entity seriously undermines efforts to create an environment conducive to the resumption of talks under the auspices of the United Nations
”, a- he continued, recalling that the EU “
only recognizes the Republic of Cyprus as a subject of international law, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council
”.
International recognition of Northern Cyprus defended by Turkey
The Turkish president for his part said that the membership of Northern Cyprus as an observer member of the OET did not have the value of recognition, Turkish media reported on Saturday.
“
It would be wrong to take this as recognition.
A recognition has other characteristics and it is something delicate
,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on board his return flight from Samarkand.
The Turkish head of state, however, added his intention to "
work
" for the international recognition of Northern Cyprus.
The TRNC unilaterally proclaimed its independence in 1983, nine years after the invasion of northern Cyprus by the Turkish army, in reaction to a coup d'etat by Cypriot-Greek nationalists who wanted to attach the island to Greece.
This "
declaration of secession
" was deemed "
legally void
" by the UN Security Council three days later.
Cyprus remains today divided, the Republic of Cyprus, member of the EU since 2004, exercising its authority only on the southern part of the island.
►
Also to listen: Cyprus, an unprecedented case in Europe
(
with AFP
)
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
European Union
Cyprus
Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdogan