Öztürkler in Azerbaijani and meets with counterpart Gafarova
Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly and Chairman of the TRNC–Azerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, Ziya Öztürkler, traveled to Baku with several members of the Assembly’s TRNC–Türkiye Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group.
As part of his contacts, Öztürkler met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani National Assembly, Sahiba Gafarova, and also attended a meeting of the Azerbaijan, Türkiye and TRNC parliamentary friendship groups at the Azerbaijani Parliament.
Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly and Chairman of the TRNC–Azerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group Ziya Öztürkler traveled to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, together with TRNC–Türkiye Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group Chair Resmiye Eroğlu Canaltay and Friendship Group member Fırtına Karanfil.
During his contacts, Öztürkler first met with Azerbaijani National Assembly Speaker Sahiba Gafarova, and later attended the meeting of the friendship groups of the three parliaments.
Gafarova said that during the talks, many issues aimed at further strengthening relations between the two countries would be discussed and the main aspects of these matters would be addressed.
She added that the meeting would contribute to deepening Turkic brotherhood in political, economic and humanitarian fields.
Speaker Ziya Öztürkler for his part also referred to relations between the TRNC and Azerbaijan, stressing that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s support for the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot people is extremely valuable.
Öztürkler noted that Azerbaijan’s support for the TRNC’s full membership in the Organization of Turkic States and in TURKPA is of great importance.
He also said that transforming these ties into institutional and effective cooperation through parliaments would strengthen not only bilateral relations but also solidarity across the Turkic world.
Referring to the Cyprus issue, Öztürkler stated that the only realistic solution on the island is the recognition of the sovereign equality and equal international status of two states.
Recalling the statement by President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that “the existence of the TRNC is the most concrete reality of the island of Cyprus,” Öztürkler emphasized that no solution that ignores the will of the Turkish Cypriot people can be accepted.
Resmiye Eroğlu Canaltay, Chair of the TRNC–Türkiye Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, said they welcomed brotherly Azerbaijan’s extended hand with gratitude.
Canaltay stressed that cooperation between Azerbaijan and the TRNC is particularly important in economic, cultural and youth dialogue fields, and thanked Azerbaijan for its support.
Speaker Ziya Öztürkler and his delegation also attended the meeting of the Azerbaijan, Türkiye and TRNC parliamentary friendship groups at the Azerbaijani National Assembly.
At the meeting, Öztürkler emphasized the need to strengthen solidarity within the Turkic world and reinforce the TRNC’s position in the international arena.
Evaluating the “TURKPA Plus” initiative, Öztürkler said it would increase the ability to act jointly in parliamentary diplomacy and strengthen the influence of the Turkic world internationally.
He also requested support for accelerating the TRNC’s observer membership process in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Economic Cooperation Organization, improving relations with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and increasing visibility in international parliamentary platforms where the TRNC is not represented.
Resmiye Eroğlu Canaltay for her partg emphasized the TRNC’s role, saying that “the TRNC is not only an entity seeking support; it is also the gateway of the Turkic world to the Eastern Mediterranean and a complementary part of this whole.”
Friendship Group member MP Fırtına Karanfil said in his speech that the Turkish Cypriot people were reborn after the 1974 Peace Operation, and that the struggle was crowned with the establishment of the TRNC.
