In a crucial summit held in Ankara, the energy supply security and economic future of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) were the focus of discussions between TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and top Turkish officials.

The meetings, which lasted for five and a half hours, were attended by Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, and their respective teams.

The summit brought together several high-ranking officials, including TRNC Deputy Prime Minister Fikri Ataoğlu, Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı, TRNC Ambassador to Ankara İsmet Korukoğlu, Finance Minister Özdemir Berova, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources Hüseyin Çavuş, as well as financial bureaucrats and Central Bank Governor Rifat Günay. Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkoşa, Yasin Ekrem Serim, also participated in the talks.

Upon his arrival at the Presidential Complex, Prime Minister Üstel was welcomed by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz.

The two leaders first held a one-on-one meeting, followed by broader discussions with their respective delegations.

The lengthy meetings addressed a number of projects, with a particular emphasis on the TRNC’s electricity supply.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdülkadir Uraloğlu, and Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar  joined parts of the discussions, reflecting the broad range of issues tackled during the summit.

Prime Minister Üstel was also received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as part of the official program at the Presidential Complex.

On Thursday, Ünal Üstel concluded his contacts by meeting with the Turkish Minister of Defence Yaşar Güler.

No statement was issued before or after the meeting which lasted for nearly an hour.