A delegation from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) participated in the second meeting of the Commission Chairs on Defense and Security Issues of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TÜRKPA), held in Baku.

Representing the TRNC Parliament, Chair of the Committee on Legal, Political Affairs, Foreign Relations and Defense Yasemi Öztürk, and committee member Ürün Solyalı attended the gathering, which focused on “Strengthening Security and Defense Cooperation among Turkic States: The Role of Parliaments.”

Speaking during the meeting hosted by the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, Yasemi Öztürk began by expressing gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for his unwavering support of the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriot people.

She reaffirmed that the TRNC is an integral part of the Turkic World and emphasized its strategic position in safeguarding peace, stability, and balance in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Stressing that the TRNC’s rightful place on the international stage is a matter of justice and sovereignty for the entire Turkic community, Öztürk called for increased solidarity and knowledge-sharing in defense and security matters among Turkic states.

Öztürk also underscored the importance of parliamentary collaboration in complementing interstate relations and praised TÜRKPA’s central role in this effort.

In a separate address, Turkish Grand National Assembly Defense Committee Chair Hulusi Akar sharply criticized the European Union for acting as a spokesperson for the Greek Cypriot Administration and for exerting pressure to exclude the TRNC from international forums.

Akar called for strong and clear recognition of the TRNC within the Turkic World, arguing that such recognition would contribute to regional balance and enhance collective security strategies. Describing the TRNC as the Turkic World’s gateway to the seas, Akar stated that the TRNC adds strategic depth to joint cooperation frameworks.