Azerbaijan has reiterated its support for the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), as the Turkish Cypriot administration seeks allies following several Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) states establishing diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cyprus.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, speaking at an international forum titled “Towards a New International Order” at Ada University in Baku, pledged continued backing for the breakaway territory, which is recognised only by Turkey.
“We are always by the side of our brothers. Our policy has always been clear,” Aliyev said, according to Turkish Cypriot media. “We are only thinking about how we can help our brothers protect their state. They historically deserve what they have achieved”.
Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan’s role in securing observer status for the occupied north in the OTS and reminded attendees that Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar had attended an informal OTS summit in Shusha, where the flag of the unrecognised entity was raised.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar expressed gratitude for this “strong support” in a written statement, saying he was pleased that unity and relations with Azerbaijan were gradually increasing.
The diplomatic manoeuvring comes amid controversy over Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan opening embassies in the Republic of Cyprus. Currently, Turkey and Azerbaijan are the only OTS members without diplomatic relations with the Cypriot government.
Erhan Arıklı, a “minister” in the occupied north, called on Ankara to take measures regarding the opening of these embassies, claiming the Central Asian republics were prioritising relations with European Union countries to gain access to EU project funding.
“It is not possible for us to accept that the Turkic republics, whom we consider friends and brothers, are opening embassies in the Greek Cypriot side, leaving aside the TRNC, which is an observer member of the Organisation of Turkic States,” Arıklı said.
The president of Turkey’s Great Unity Party, Mustafa Destici, also criticised the moves, saying they ignored “the sensitivities of Turkey” and were “never acceptable to Turkey and the Turkish nation”.
