The economy of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the development of relations between the TRNC and Turkiye, the TRNC’s and Turkiye’s rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Maraş initiative were all taken up in Ankara on Tuesday at the highest level.

Prime Minister Ünal Üstel who carried out his first official visit to Ankara was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The meeting at the presidential complex lasted for more than an hour. No statement was issued before or after the meeting.

Earlier on Tuesday, Üstel held a face-to-face meeting with Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay.

They were later joined by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu and the Minister for Public Works and Transportation Erhan Arıklı.

This was followed by a work meeting of the delegations of the two countries.

A joint press conference was held between Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and the Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay at the end of the meetings.

Speaking first, Oktay said they discussed the reforms and structural revisions that need to be made with a Turkish Cypriot-oriented perspective during their meeting.

“We all want a sustainable Northern Cyprus where not short-term plans for the future but medium and long-term goals are discussed,” he said.

He said that as part of the Türkiye-TRNC 2021 Economic and Monetary Cooperation Agreement, Türkiye had allocated 4.25 billion Turkish liras ($259 million) to the TRNC government.

“The sole purpose of the cooperation protocol is to strengthen the TRNC structurally in all areas and to create the necessary conditions for it to be self-sufficient,” he noted.

Touching on the informal meeting that took place in line with a call by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, he said the Turkish side manifested a vision that is grounded and based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two sides on the island.

On the issue of Maraş, Oktay said that there was no change in their position regarding efforts to revive the fenced-off town.

“The Greek Cypriots which have rejected all solution plans to date and which have been preventing the reopening of Maraş for decades have no say on what the TRNC is doing and will do,” said the Turkish vice president, adding that the rights of property owners will be protected in all steps taken concerning Maraş.

On the issue of hydrocarbons, Oktay said that Ankara fully supported the Turkish Cypriot side’s reactions to the Greek Cypriot side’s unilateral actions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

He reminded that both Turkiye and the TRNC have equal and legitimate rights in the region and that the Greek Cypriot administration’s provocative activities will not go unanswered.

For his part, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said that his government will make every effort to fully implement the financial protocol signed with Turkiye for the TRNC’s economic development.

“Our government will make every effort to fully implement the financial protocol, which is extremely important for the economic progress and development of the TRNC, as soon as possible,” said Üstel.

“Necessary facilities have been provided for the TRNC economy to have a sustainable structure, stand on its own feet, and (for) Turkish Cypriot people to improve their living standards and to increase their welfare level with the protocol signed for 2022.”

Expressing his happiness over paying his first official visit to the Turkish homeland as prime minister, Ustel thanked Oktay for Ankara’s invitation.

He underlined that the worldwide economic crisis, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic had adversely affected the TRNC as well as all other countries, adding that the national economy was experiencing a recession.