Central Asia is showing growing support for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), with official recognition at a major Turkic assembly in Kazakhstan — while the EU remains silent.
Momentum is growing for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on the international stage — this time from the heart of Central Asia.
At the 14th General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), held in Kazakhstan, Turkish Cypriot delegates were welcomed alongside representatives from Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Hungary. Most notably, TRNC Assembly President Ziya Öztürkler was officially received by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev — a rare and symbolically powerful gesture of recognition.
This significant moment comes on the heels of the Budapest Declaration by the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), which reaffirmed the TRNC as an inseparable part of the Turkic world. The declaration also called for a realistic and viable settlement in Cyprus, based on the current facts on the ground — a clear signal that regional powers are reassessing long-standing diplomatic positions.
However, not all recent developments have been so inclusive. Just weeks earlier, the OTS signed a cooperation agreement with the European Union — one that made no mention of the TRNC at all. This stark contrast raises pressing questions about where allegiances lie and how geopolitics in the region may be shifting.
As Central Asia opens its arms to the TRNC, will Europe continue to look the other way? investra.io