TRNC slams Greek Cypriot bid to block Barcelona youth camp

TRNC President Tufan Erhurman on Wednesday criticized the Greek Cypriot Administration for lobbying to prevent FC Barcelona from holding a youth training camp in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, denouncing the move as a loss for humanity and a betrayal of sporting values. Speaking in a statement, Erhurman said he had observed numerous attempts on social media by circles within the Greek Cypriot Administration to cancel the event scheduled for Sept. 11.

"You may call getting the festival canceled and trying to prevent children from playing football a diplomatic victory, but from a humanitarian perspective, it is clear to me that this is a defeat for all people and for humanity," Erhurman said. He stressed that he would not want any Turkish Cypriot or Greek Cypriot children denied opportunities available to youth elsewhere because of the ongoing political dispute.

Calls to end isolation

Erhurman noted that such sporting events should remain free from politicization, recalling longstanding calls by UN, EU and Council of Europe institutions since 2004 to lift the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. The Catalan club announced earlier that the academy camp for young players would take place in the TRNC on Sept. 11, drawing immediate opposition from Greek Cypriot nationalist circles.

Far-right opposition

The far-right National Popular Front party has publicly called on the Greek Cypriot Administration’s Foreign Ministry to pressure Spanish authorities into blocking the camp. The TRNC remains unrecognized by the international community outside of Türkiye, though it operates with its own democratically elected government and institutions.