A meeting was held on Tuesday to discuss the strategy plan on combating the sale and use of illegal drugs in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Discussions on the “TRNC Drug Combat Strategy Document and Action Plan 2024-2025”, focused on the challenges faced in the fight against drug abuse and necessary steps to combat the issue

Speaking at the meeting, Teyfide Tecel Hatipoğlu, Head of the TRNC Prime Ministry’s Anti-Drug Commission, stated that the TRNC has developed a comprehensive strategy to establish an effective policy to combat drugs.

She noted that this strategy was initiated in the first half of 2024 and is expected to be completed and put into effect by the end of the year.

Levent Gazi Kurtoğlu, Head of the Department of Anti-Smuggling Intelligence, Operations, and Information Gathering at the Turkish Ministry of Interior, shared examples from Türkiye’s experience in combating drugs and emphasized the importance of the strategy and action plan.

Soner Yıldırım, Police Chief at the Turkish Ministry of Interior’s General Directorate of Security, highlighted that the strategy and action plan being prepared in the TRNC would further advance the determined efforts in the fight against drugs.

Reyfet Abdu, General Coordinator on behalf of the Anti-Drug Commission, gave a presentation providing detailed information about the current situation, strategy, and goals to the participants.

According to a statement from the Police Press Office, Turgay Kırok, Director of Narcotics and Anti-Smuggling, explained that the fight against drugs is divided into two main areas: “combating addiction” and “combating supply.”

Kırok elaborated that combating addiction focuses on patient rehabilitation, while combating supply, smuggling and illegal trade.