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The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Parliament on Tuesday approved a resolution titled “Two-State Solution to the Cyprus Issue” by majority vote, marking a significant political statement on the island’s decadeslong division.
The resolution, previously passed by committee, was adopted in the General Assembly with 29 votes in favor from the ruling National Unity Party (UBP), the Democratic Party (DP), the Rebirth Party (YDP), and independent lawmaker Hasan Tosunoglu.
Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz welcomed the decision, calling it “an important step reflecting the will of the Turkish Cypriot people.”
“We are very pleased with the approval by majority vote of the resolution based on the principle of a two-state solution to the Cyprus issue,” Yilmaz said Tuesday.
Members of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) did not participate in the vote.
During the session, TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel recalled President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s call at the United Nations General Assembly for international recognition of the TRNC.
“The TRNC has its own people and state. We have reached this point with the support of our motherland, the Republic of Türkiye,” Ustel said.
He argued that the Greek Cypriot side had consistently rejected compromise despite the concessions offered during federation talks.
“We all know what happened in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the heart of Europe. Despite the lack of a U.N. Security Council resolution, nearly 100 countries have recognized Bosnia-Herzegovina. We also know about the ceasefire in Gaza — around 157 countries have recognized Palestine without a U.N. or Security Council decision,” he added.
CTP leader Tufan Erhurman criticized the move, saying the decision’s timing — just days before the election — was politically motivated. “Never before in history has such a decision on the Cyprus issue been taken just five days before an election. Parliament is not an instrument to be used for electoral purposes,” Erhurman said.
He argued that the matter should have been handled by the government, not Parliament, and stressed that neither Türkiye nor previous TRNC presidents had pursued any policy that would render Turkish Cypriots a minority. “The Turkish Cypriot people will never renounce their right to partnership in Cyprus,” he said.
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The resolution passed by the TRNC Parliament reads:
“Efforts should be made to lift the unjust political, economic, and social isolations imposed on the TRNC, to accelerate initiatives for the recognition and promotion of the TRNC in the international arena, and to convey to the international community that the ‘two-state’ settlement is the foundation for true and lasting peace in Cyprus. Taking into account global developments and shifting balances, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Parliament believes that through unity, solidarity, and close cooperation with motherland Türkiye, the TRNC can soon achieve these goals.”
The resolution also calls for full membership of the TRNC in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and reaffirms the commitment of both the TRNC Parliament and the Turkish Cypriot people to the vision of the Republic of Türkiye’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk: “Independence is my character.”
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