Erdoğan says Türkiye ‘will never abandon’ Cyprus cause

Detailed summary

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Nov. 15 marked the 43rd anniversary of the establishment of Turkish Cyprus, reaffirming Ankara’s support for Turkish Cypriots and their sovereignty.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is pictured delivering a speech during the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya on Nov 12.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Nov. 15 marked the 43rd anniversary of the establishment of Turkish Cyprus, reaffirming Ankara’s support for Turkish Cypriots and their sovereignty.

In a written statement, Erdoğan extended his “heartfelt congratulations” to Turkish Cyprus, commemorating “our heroic martyrs with mercy and our honored veterans with gratitude.”

“I send my greetings and warmest regards to our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters, with whom we will continue to strengthen our solidarity in every field,” he wrote.

Calling the Cyprus issue Türkiye’s “national cause,” Erdoğan vowed that Ankara “would never abandon the island under any circumstances.”

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry also hailed Turkish Cyprus as a symbol of its people’s struggle for sovereignty and existence.

The ministry said the island’s northern part stands as proof that Turkish Cypriots, whom it called an inseparable part of the Turkish nation, have “never relinquished their sovereignty and freedom and never will.”

It also paid tribute to late Turkish Cypriot leader Fazıl Küçük and the country’s founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş, expressing gratitude for their contributions to the Cyprus cause.

The Defense Ministry also congratulated Turkish Cyprus on its anniversary, vowing that it would continue to stand by “our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters, as it has in the past and will into the future.”

Opening of the article, excerpted from Hürriyet Daily News. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.