President Ersin Tatar, as part of his contacts in New York, met with the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hüseyin İbrahim Taha.

Tatar conveyed to Taha that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also wanted to be represented in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation with its constitutional title.

He emphasized the right of the Turkish Cypriot people, who have been living in Cyprus for five centuries, to self-administration and expressed his expectation of concrete support from the Islamic world.

Speaking during the meeting held at the United Nations Headquarters during which Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu was also present, President Ersin Tatar reminded the OIC Secretary-General Taha that the TRNC had been accepted as an observer member with its constitutional name in the Organization of Turkic States, but it represented at the OIC under the name “Turkish Cypriot state” as stated in the Annan Plan.

President Tatar explained the current situation on the Cyprus problem and said that the Turkish Cypriots who have existed in Cyprus for over five centuries had a right to self-determination.

During the meeting, President Tatar also mentioned that they could implement mutually beneficial projects with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its member states in the fields of culture, economy, and sports.

He expressed the desire for Turkish Cypriot athletes to participate in the Islamic Games, which was discussed with regret that they could not attend in 2022 due to the situation in Konya.

President Tatar expressed concern about the increasing Islamophobia in Europe and strongly condemned the burning of the holy Quran, especially in Denmark and Sweden.

Tatar pointed out that Northern Cyprus has many higher education institutions of global importance and expressed the desire to have more students from the member countries of the OIC studying at these institutions.

He also conveyed their willingness to host tourists from member countries.

President Tatar underlined the importance of the island of Cyprus in terms of the Islamic religion and invited Secretary-General Taha to visit the TRNC to examine Islamic artefacts on the island and to show the support of the OIC to the Turkish Cypriot people.

Meanwhile, President Ersin Tatar attended an exhibition at the Türkevi on Monday, showcasing the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye and Türkiye-US relations.