TRNC President Slams European Parliament Report on Turkey as Biased

President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, has denounced the European Parliament's 2023–2024 report on Turkey, calling it politically biased and detached from reality.

Tatar argued that the document joins a long list of politically driven reports that ignore the will of the Turkish Cypriot people and reflect a one-sided perspective.

“The European Union lost its neutrality on the Cyprus issue in 2004, when it accepted the Greek Cypriot administration as a full member—despite that side rejecting the Annan Plan for reunification. From that point on, expecting EU institutions to act impartially became unrealistic,” he said.

The TRNC leader criticized the European Parliament for describing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent visit to Northern Cyprus as “illegal,” stating it was a clear affront to the identity and sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot people.

“President Erdoğan’s visit is a strong symbol of our people's sovereign rights over their homeland. Calling it illegal is an open challenge to our very existence and institutional legitimacy,” Tatar added.

He emphasized that the TRNC is an undeniable reality on the island and that no political maneuver can erase its presence.

“Attempts to ignore or undermine the will of the Turkish Cypriot people are not only misguided but ultimately ineffective.”

President Erdoğan visited Northern Cyprus over the weekend to inaugurate the new presidential complex and attend TEKNOFEST — a major technology and aviation festival held in the TRNC for the first time.

“This inauguration marks a historic milestone that strengthens our status as a sovereign state and reinforces our institutional identity. No politically motivated report can change that,” Tatar said.

The European Parliament’s report was adopted late Wednesday evening with 367 votes in favor, 74 against, and 188 abstentions — including five of the six Cypriot MEPs.