Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz reaffirmed Ankara’s support for Turkish Cypriots and their political cause as Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) signed an additional protocol Thursday on a fiber-optic infrastructure project aimed at accelerating the island’s digital transformation.
Yılmaz met TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and representatives of the coalition government at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, where the two sides discussed bilateral relations, ongoing development projects and cooperation in energy and digital infrastructure.
Speaking at a joint news conference after the meeting, Yılmaz reiterated Türkiye’s long-standing position on Cyprus, saying Ankara would continue to stand by Turkish Cypriots.
“Türkiye, as the motherland and guarantor, will always stand with the Turkish Cypriot people in line with its historic responsibility on the Cyprus issue, which is our national cause,” Yılmaz said. “It will continue to defend the just cause of the Turkish Cypriots on every platform and mobilize all its resources to ensure their prosperity and peace.”
Yılmaz also emphasized Türkiye would continue supporting projects designed to improve living standards in the TRNC under the 2026 Economic and Financial Cooperation Agreement.
