TRNC says EU shows 'no willingness' to end Turkish Cypriot isolation

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on Thursday sharply criticized the European Union for perpetuating what it called decades of unjust isolation, with the TRNC Foreign Ministry stating that recent correspondence from Brussels offers clear evidence that the bloc will not take positive steps for Turkish Cypriots. In a statement issued Thursday, the ministry dismissed references made by the European Commission regarding the lifting of restrictions as completely inconsistent with realities on the island.

"The letter in question has gone on record as the clearest evidence that the EU will not take any positive steps for the Turkish Cypriot people in the future either," the ministry said. The statement underlined that Turkish Cypriots remain subjected to inhumane isolation before the eyes of the EU and the international community, forced to live under embargoes that violate international law and fundamental human rights across education, sports and economic life.

No concrete steps taken

The ministry described European Commission references to 2004 European Council decisions and claims about "building bridges" as attempts to create a false impression, noting that the EU has shown no willingness to ease isolation despite portrayals in the press suggesting otherwise. "The EU has taken no concrete steps, and has demonstrated no sincere approach, political will or vision, to eliminate the unjust restrictions imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people and the inhumane obstacles created by the Greek Cypriot side," it said.

The statement singled out European Commission Vice President Raffaele Fitto, stating that the TRNC cannot take seriously the EU's so-called representative, who it accused of disregarding the sovereign equality and equal international status of Turkish Cypriots while distorting realities through biased reports. The ministry vowed that the Turkish Cypriot people will continue their struggle with the strong support of the Republic of Türkiye, remaining determined to defend their rights on the basis of sovereign equality despite all embargoes.

Decades-long division

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, with ethnic attacks in the early 1960s forcing Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety. In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation of the island led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power, resulting in the founding of the TRNC in 1983.

The Greek Cypriot Administration entered the EU in 2004 — the same year Greek Cypriots blocked a UN plan to end the dispute — while the island has seen an on-and-off peace process including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the UK.