Türkiye has expressed strong support for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) parliament’s decision to approve a resolution formally advocating a two-state solution to the Cyprus issue. The move, passed by a majority vote, represents a significant shift in the Turkish Cypriot position regarding the decades-long dispute on the Eastern Mediterranean island.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz immediately welcomed the parliamentary decision, stating on the social media platform NSosyal that “This decision is a powerful manifestation of the Turkish Cypriot people’s determination to protect their sovereignty, identity and future.” He declared that the federation model, which has been discussed for fifty years, “is now exhausted” and incapable of delivering results.
Yılmaz articulated that a “realistic, sustainable and fair solution on the island is possible only on the basis of two sovereign and equal states.” He congratulated the TRNC parliament members for taking this stand for the future and dignity of the Turkish Cypriot people and reaffirmed that Türkiye’s support for their right to self-determination would continue unwavering.
The Cyprus dispute dates back to the early 1960s when ethnic attacks forced Turkish Cypriots into enclaves for their safety. In 1974, Türkiye intervened militarily as a guarantor power following a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at annexation by Greece. The TRNC was subsequently founded in 1983. Despite numerous UN-led peace efforts, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland, a comprehensive settlement has remained elusive.
The peace process has been stagnant for years, particularly after the Greek Cypriot Administration joined the European Union in 2004. That same year, Greek Cypriots unilaterally rejected a UN plan to resolve the conflict. The TRNC’s new resolution marks a formal pivot toward a two-state framework as the only viable path forward, moving beyond the exhausted federal model.