Efforts are underway between the Republic of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to combat irregular migration.

In this context, delegations from Türkiye and the TRNC held a meeting on Monday followed by a joint press conference between the Minister of Interior Ziya Öztürkler and Turkish Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Yasin Ekrem Serim.

Speaking there, the Minister of Interior Ziya Öztürkler said that efforts to increase the security of the public had reached a certain level.

He also announced that a decision has been made to establish a migration centre within the Ministry of Interior to address the issue of irregular migration.

Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yasin Ekrem Serim emphasized that they are ready to provide any support in the field of irregular migration for the defence of the interests of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Speaking at the the joint press conference in Lefkoşa after the meeting on combating irregular migration, the Minister of Interior Ziya Öztürkler expressed that they had a productive day in order to bring the ongoing efforts to a conclusion.

Referring to the recent steps taken to maintain public security, Öztürkler said, “We have brought the ongoing efforts, most of which are related to irregular and undocumented migration, to a certain point in order to ensure the TRNC maintains its status as a safe country.”

He also said that an agreement had been reached to establish a migration centre within the Ministry of Interior regarding irregular migration, aiming to identify and coordinate the situation of those who come to the country as students or with work permits and are in an irregular status.

“We are benefitting from the knowledge and experience of Türkiye in order to take steps and carry out these efforts. Türkiye fully supports us by transferring their knowledge and expertise to us in order to work more coherently in this regard.”

Minister of Interior Ziya Öztürkler also mentioned that they have reached the final stages of the e-visa automation system and said that the embassies and consulates of the Republic of Türkiye and TRNC will be carrying out work to ensure that the system functions properly.

Öztürkler added that they have taken a decision to increase the number of countries subject to visa requirements by the TRNC, something that had become necessary in light of the increase in the number of people arriving in the country.

The Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Yasin Serim for his part emphasized that the TRNC will continue to be a priority for Türkiye in the period ahead and that they fully support the Turkish Cypriot side’s vision for a two state solution.

“I would like to emphasize once again that for the negotiation process to yield results, the Turkish Cypriot side and the Greek Cypriot side must sit at the negotiation table as two equals,” said Serim, expressing their support for President Ersin Tatar’s proposals to cooperate on migration.

The Deputy Turkish foreign minister also expressed Ankara’s great satisfaction with the TRNC becoming an observer member to the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and the Turkic States Parliamentary Assembly.

He stated that these memberships will have a positive impact on the TRNC especially in terms of the economy.

“We will continue our efforts for the integration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus with the Turkic world and to end unjust isolations,” he said

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Serim mentioned that they have reached the stage of signing an agreement regarding consular assistance to TRNC citizens and added that they did not separate citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus from their own citizens.

He also said that they had held a comprehensive discussion on the issue of irregular migration, which has become a common problem worldwide.

Serim pointed out that irregular migration is a problem that cannot be tackled by a single country alone.

He emphasized that the Republic of Türkiye has extensive experience in combating irregular migration and reiterated their readiness to provide any support in the field of irregular migration for the defence of the interests of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yasin Ekrem Serim was also received by Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu on Monday afternoon.

No statement was issued before or after the meeting.