President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s upcoming visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) for Türkiye’s premier technology and aviation event, Teknofest, is making headlines in the island’s Greek-administered south.
Erdoğan on Saturday will be inaugurating a sprawling presidential complex for the TRNC in Aydemet, west of the capital Lefkoşa (Nicosia), before attending the technology festival, which kicked off on Thursday at the old Ercan Airport in Lefkoşa.
The four-day event is being held for the first time in the TRNC and features predominantly air shows and exhibitions of Turkish-made defense industry products, notably armed drones.
According to the Greek Cypriot daily Kathimerini Cyprus, Erdoğan’s participation in Teknofest conveys a “message to the region beyond the Cyprus issue.”
The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decadeslong struggle between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement. The TRNC is fully recognized only by Ankara, which does not recognize the Greek Cypriot administration in the south.
The status of the island remains unresolved, despite a series of negotiations over the years. While Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration support a federation on Cyprus, Türkiye and the TRNC insist on a two-state solution reflecting the realities on the island.
Erdoğan is looking to strengthen his efforts for the international recognition of the TRNC and has vowed to “never leave Turkish Cypriots alone,” Kathimerini Cyprus wrote.
Erdoğan recently reiterated Türkiye’s responsibility to the TRNC as both “historical and humanitarian,” vowing to continue advocating for their rights on every platform.
“We believe the Turkic world will continue to stand by its brothers,” he said, days after several members of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) moved to recognize the Greek Cypriot administration, allegedly to secure deals with the EU.
Kathimerini Cyprus also quoted remarks from TRNC President Ersin Tatar at the opening ceremony of Teknofest, who emphasized the protection of the TRNC’s sovereignty and said the TRNC would “continue working for the unity and solidarity of the Turkic world.”
Another Greek Cypriot platform, Omega TV, called Teknofest a “show of strength,” citing air shows performed by the Turkish aerobatic demonstration team SoloTurk.
Meanwhile, Simeri newspaper protested the convention of OTS’ Council of Elders in Lefkoşa, and Offsitenews highlighted Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır’s remarks about “stepping into a new era with the ‘Century of Türkiye.’”