Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu has said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) once again stresses Türkiye’s determination to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people and support the recognition policy of the TRNC.

The foreign minister was evaluating the visit of the Turkish president who is conducting his first trip abroad since his re-election to the TRNC in line with state tradition.

Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu on Sunday said that the fact that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will carry out his first official foreign visit to the TRNC after being elected as the president reaffirms the importance of the unique relationship between the motherland Türkiye and the TRNC.

“The visit of President Erdoğan stresses once again the determination of the Republic of Türkiye to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people and support the recognition policy of the TRNC” he said.

“Regarding the visit of President Erdoğan to our country, there have been unwarranted comments from the Greek Cypriot Administration, despite the astounding developments in the defence industry under the leadership of Turkish President Erdoğan,” Ertuğruloğlu added.

He said that the Greek Cypriot Administration continued to maintain the misconception that it was the ‘sole representative’ of the island.

“However, its attempts to deny the existence of our state, which has sovereignty over its own territory, will not change the reality, and sooner or later, they will realize this,” the foreign minister said.

Ertuğruloğlu said that he was confident that Türkiye will not only neutralize the threats against the Turkish Cypriot people but also pave the way for the recognition of the TRNC with its rapidly growing defence industry and the strengthening of the Turkish Armed Forces, as well as its increasing influence in the world.