The Minister of Public Works and Transportation Erhan Arıklı has called on the information technologies sector in Türkiye to support the promotion of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

“It is our most important goal and priority to promote the TRNC as an independent Turkic state to the world,” he said.

Speaking at the Public-BİB’25 and BİMY’ 29 informatics congress held in Antalya, Türkiye, the Minister of Public Works and Transportation Erhan Arıklı expressed his desire to see an expansion of technological advancements by Turkic states that stretch from the Adriatic sea to the Great Wall of China.

“We want to see the emergence of a Turkish era, one that encompasses and includes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” he said.

Arıklı pointed out that the TRNC was at a turning point and that the goal was to promote the independent country, first to the Turkic World, to the Islamic World and later to the rest of the world countries.

“We have determined a new road map with Ankara and we shall not be present at any platform which does not recognise the TRNC or equal sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot people,” he said.

Also touching upon the embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people, Arıklı explained that Türkiye was the TRNC’s only window to the world and that the TRNC’s infrastructure had been completed with the support of motherland Türkiye.

“We just completed a tender for 4G-5G. We are planning to start providing 4G coverage in 6-7 months time and god willing we will then start work for 5G,” he said.

Arıklı also added that work was underway to include fiber-optic internet to homes but that the support of relevant institutions in Türkiye was needed to make this happen.

The public works minister completed his speech by calling on the Turkish Informatics Association to hold its next event in 2023 in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.