UPDATE - Turkish vice president visits Northern Cyprus

UPDATES WITH VP'S INSPECTION OF NEW ERCAN AIRPORT TERMINAL

LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) - Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz arrived in Lefkosa, the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), on his first visit after taking office.

Yilmaz was welcomed at the Ercan Airport by TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkosa Metin Feyzioglu and other officials.

Yilmaz told reporters at the airport that he was very happy and honored to be in Lefkosa.

"We will also have meetings with many of our Ministers, officials, representatives of civil society, and representatives of the business world. In each of these, we will talk about the relations between Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and what we can do," he said on Sunday.

Yilmaz also expressed good wishes, emphasizing the President's love for the Turkish Cypriot people and the importance he attaches to them referring to the Protocol of Economic and Financial Cooperation between Türkiye and the TRNC as part of the "Century of Türkiye" Cabinet.

- New terminal of Ercan Airport

Yilmaz also inspected the construction of the new terminal of Ercan Airport, which stands as the TRNC's gateway to the world.

"The new terminal building will not only be an airport, but also an attraction center for the revival of tourism, employment and investment in Northern Cyprus," Yilmaz said.

The new double-runway Ercan Airport, where aircraft of all types and sizes can land, can also host wide-body aircraft, Yilmaz said.

"As you know, our first runway has been completed and our second runway will be completed as well. This airport will have a length suitable for the use of all models of passenger aircraft," he said.

"I believe that the biggest airport of the island of Cyprus will be put to service for the Turkish Cypriots as soon as possible," he added.

- 'We will continue to defend the legitimate rights of the TRNC'

Evaluating the developments regarding the recognition of the TRNC on a televised broadcast later in the day, Yilmaz said: "We will intensify our efforts for recognition of the TRNC in the next period. Being an observer member in the Organization of Turkic States is a sign of this, in a sense. The Turkish Cypriot people in Northern Cyprus can in no way be pushed to a minority status, hierarchically dragged into a position below others. They have to take their place on the island in an equal and sovereign manner."

On the question about the developments in Eastern Mediterranean, Yilmaz said: "The Eastern Mediterranean is an extremely important geography and there is an economic activity here. Different countries also have their own interests. For a while, they made an effort to exclude Türkiye and the TRNC from this equation."

"Most importantly, the agreement with Libya," he said, referring to Türkiye's maritime deal with the North African country.

"Now a new equation has emerged. We defend the legitimate rights of Türkiye and the TRNC, their rights stemming from international law, to the end, there is no stepping back here."

*Writing by Alperen Aktas in Istanbul