Cyprus marks the 43rd anniversary of the illegal declaration of the TRNC

November 15, 2026, marks the 43rd anniversary of the unilateral declaration of the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), an entity established by Turkey in the occupied northern part of the island in 1983. This act remains widely condemned by the international community as an illegal attempt to solidify the occupation and partition of Cyprus.

Following the 1983 declaration, the UN Security Council passed resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984), declaring the entity legally invalid and demanding its immediate withdrawal. Despite these international legal rulings, Ankara has continued to systematically attempt to upgrade the entity politically and economically, aiming to integrate the occupied territory into its own geopolitical sphere.

Public discourse in Cyprus continues to clash with rhetoric from Turkish-Cypriot politicians like Tufan Erhurman, who characterizes Turkish-Cypriots as 'founding partners' of the island. Conversely, Greek-Cypriot sources maintain that such claims lack legal standing and contradict the reality of the Republic of Cyprus as the sole sovereign authority. The situation remains in a diplomatic stalemate, with Turkey persisting in its efforts to gain international recognition for the entity while the international community continues to reject these actions as violations of international law.