Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the international community at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, where he reiterated his call for the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and made significant statements regarding the Cyprus issue.

Erdoğan emphasized the importance of recognizing the rights of Turkish Cypriots, marking the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation and the 61st year since the Cyprus problem arose following the Greek Cypriot usurpation of the partnership state. He noted that since then, peace and tranquility have prevailed on the island, largely due to the efforts of the Turkish Cypriots, who have continuously sought a just, permanent, and sustainable solution.

The President declared that the federation model for Cyprus is no longer valid, stressing that it is time for the international community to accept the existence of two separate states and two separate peoples on the island. He called for an end to the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and urged the recognition of their sovereign equality and equal international status.

Erdoğan also highlighted the importance of protecting the rights of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots regarding energy resources and the continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean. He reaffirmed Turkey’s rights in the north and west of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriots’ rights around the entire island.

In his speech, Erdoğan invited the international community to recognize the TRNC and to establish diplomatic, political, and economic relations with it, underlining the need for an end to the ongoing isolation.