Prime Minister Ünal Üstel has said that Türkiye, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan are three states of the same nation.

Üstel expressed the TRNC’s desire to establish the same relations with Azerbaijan that existed with Türkiye.

The prime minister was speaking to reporters on his flight to Azerbaijan.

Speaking to BRT on Thursday on his flight to Baku, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel emphasized the importance of developing relationships based on mutual love, respect, and trust, both culturally and politically, and economically between the TRNC and Azerbaijan.

He mentioned that important efforts have been made in the past two years to enhance cultural ties that had been neglected for years and considered this visit as a significant step towards achieving those goals.

Üstel also said the international efforts that have begun with the call from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the international recognition of the TRNC and its observer membership at the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) were important developments.

He said that the special status granted to the TRNC and TRNC flag by President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev was also significant.

Üstel emphasized the importance of their extensive delegation, including high-level political representation, business leaders, representatives from chambers of commerce, tourism and real estate professionals, construction industry representatives, and the academic sector.

“This diverse delegation aims to hold special meetings and promotions in Azerbaijan, facilitating important discussions to enhance trade between the two countries,” he said.

The prime minister mentioned that they will conduct various political discussions during their visit to strengthen international and inter-party collaboration, contributing significantly to several important steps.

He expressed his belief that this visit will transform and improve cultural, political, and economic relations between the two countries, breaking new ground.