OMM Redaksiyası
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu met Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Ismail Vild es-Sheikh Ahmed in New York, the TRNC Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
The meeting was held at the Turkish House on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly, according to a statement from the ministry.
Ertugruloglu congratulated Ahmed on assuming the post of secretary-general and expressed hope that close engagement and cooperation would continue.
TRNC seeks stronger OIC cooperation
The minister noted that the TRNC, which holds observer member status at the OIC, actively participates in high-level meetings and events organised under the body’s auspices. He said the TRNC had hosted several such events and was ready to organise another OIC event in the coming period.
He identified the development of ties with the OIC Secretariat and its member states as a priority, stressing the importance of OIC support in “overcoming the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people.”
Cyprus issue discussed
During the meeting, Ertugruloglu briefed Ahmed on the historical background of the Cyprus issue and outlined the Cyprus policy pursued jointly with Türkiye.
Cyprus has remained divided for decades amid a dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite repeated UN-led diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement.
Peace talks have resumed intermittently in recent years, including a 2017 initiative in Switzerland that failed under the auspices of the guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom.
