Erdogan affirms Northern Cyprus's de facto membership in Organisation of Turkic States

Northern Cyprus is effectively a full member of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS).

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the statement at a press conference at Esenboga airport, before departing for the NATO Summit in the US, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Erdogan highlighted Azerbaijan's support for this initiative, noting that Northern Cyprus was represented at the recent informal summit of the Organisation of Turkic States in Shusha.

He added that efforts are underway to formalize the country's full membership in the organization.

The Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), initiated by President Ilham Aliyev, was held in Shusha, Azerbaijan on July 5-6, 2024.

Attending were President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz of Türkiye, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary, President Ersin Tatar of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and OTS Secretary General Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev.

Themed "Building a Sustainable Future through Transport, Connectivity, and Climate Action," the Summit served as a critical platform for high-level discussions on key issues and the OTS agenda. Leaders engaged in productive dialogue, reaching significant decisions and endorsing documents related to various OTS projects.

Key outcomes included the adoption of the Garabagh Declaration, outlining a comprehensive vision for regional cooperation, and a decision to bolster the OTS Secretariat's staff and budget, enhancing the organization's operational capacity.