This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Son of the Tundra (talk | contribs) at 10:21, 5 October 2005 (explained in history section). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 10:21, 5 October 2005 by Son of the Tundra (talk | contribs) (explained in history section)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
| |||||
 |
|||||
| Official language | Turkish | ||||
| Capital | Nicosia (Lefkoşa) (35°10′28″N 33°21′25″E / 35.17444°N 33.35694°E / 35.17444; 33.35694) | ||||
| Founder | Rauf Denktaş | ||||
| President | Mehmet Ali Talat | ||||
| Prime Minister | Ferdi Sabit Soyer | ||||
| House Speaker | Fatma Ekenoğlu | ||||
| Area - Total - % water |
3,355 km² 2.7% | ||||
| Population - Total (2003) - Density |
210,047 | ||||
| Establishment - Declared - Recognition |
November 15, 1983 Turkey | ||||
| Currency | New Turkish Lira | ||||
| Time zone - in summer |
EET (UTC+2) EEST (UTC+3) | ||||
| National anthem | none (uses National Anthem of Turkey) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .nc.tr | ||||
| Calling Code | +90 392 | ||||
|
Since January 1 2005, the New Turkish Lira (Yeni Türk Lirası) replaced the old Turkish Lira. | |||||
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) (Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti) is a de facto state proclaimed in northern Cyprus in 1983. Turkey is the only country which recognises the TRNC, while all other governments and the United Nations recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole island.
The TRNC has a population of about 200,000 and an area of 3,355 square kilometres (including the tiny exclave of Kokkina (Turkish: Erenköy). Its population is almost entirely Turkish-speaking (both Turkish-Cypriots and mainland Turks) with small populations of Greek Cypriots and Maronites. The TRNC includes the northern part of the city of Nicosia (Turkish: Lefkoşa, Greek: Lefkosia), which serves as its capital.
From the tip of the Karpass Peninsula (Cape Apostolos Andreas) in the northeast, the TRNC extends westward to Morphou Bay and Cape Kormakitis (the Kokkina/Erenköy exclave marks the westernmost extent of the TRNC), and southward to the Louroujina salient. The territory between the TRNC and the remainder of Cyprus is separated by a United Nations-controlled buffer zone.
History
The TRNC was established in the aftermath of the 1974 Turkish military invasion and subsequent partition of Cyprus. This invasion followed a military coup in Cyprus against the government of Archbishop Makarios, led by Greek nationalist Cypriots and backed by the then military regime in Greece. Turkey saw this coup as a violation of the international agreements under which Cyprus became independent, and as a threat to the Turkish Cypriot minority.
The TRNC was known from 1975 until 1983 as the Turkish Federative State of North Cyprus. Turkey still has 30,000 troops stationed in the TRNC, despite several UN Security Council resolutions condemning the Turkish military invasion and occupation, the 1975 declaration of the federative state, and the 1983 declaration of independence.
For detailed accounts of the background to the Cyprus dispuite, see:
Politics
Main Article: Politics of Northern Cyprus
The TRNC is a democracy, with a president elected for a five-year term. Its legislature is the House of Representatives (Temsilciler Meclisi), which has 50 members elected by proportional representation from five electoral districts. In the elections of February 2005 the Republican Turkish Party, which favours a peace settlement and the reunification of Cyprus, retained its position as the largest parliamentary party, but failed to win an overall majority.
International status
Main Article: Foreign Relations of Northern Cyprus
The international community - with the exception of Turkey - does not recognize the TRNC as a sovereign nation. The Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic region of Azerbaijain does regard the TRNC as sovereign, but Nakhievian is not an independent state. The Organization of the Islamic Conference gives the TRNC the status of a constituent state, and it is an observer member of this organization.
Since the 2004 referendum on the United Nations Annan Plan, the attitude of the international community towards the TRNC has begun to improve. Günter Verheugen, the EU's Enlargement Commissioner, was reported as saying that the EU was considering opening a representative office in the TRNC. EU foreign ministers agreed to give the TRNC 259 million euros (US$307 million) in aid. Verheugen also said that the Greek Cypriot government should not expect a reduction in the number of Turkish troops stationed in Cyprus due to the failure of the Annan plan. Instead Turkey might increase their number beyond the current 30,000, he said.
Communications and Transport
Because of its status, the TRNC is heavily dependent on Turkish military and economic support. It uses the New Turkish Lira as its currency. All TRNC exports and imports are via Turkey, as are its communication links. International telephone calls are routed via a Turkish dialling code, +90 392, on the Internet TRNC is under the Turkish second-level domain .nc.tr, and mail must be addressed to Mersin 10, TURKEY as the Universal Postal Union refuses to recognise the TRNC as a separate entity.
Flying to Northern Cyprus is somewhat problematic, since the airports of Geçitkale (Greek: Lefkoniko) and Ercan (Greek: Tymbou) are only recognized as legal ports of entry by Azerbaijan and Turkey, so all flights to Northern Cyprus must currently land in those countries first (Note: Following a 2005 visit by three members of the U.S. Congress to Ercan, indications are that the airport satisfies US security standards for international flights. Ercan was in particular subject to extensive security checks some months prior to the June 2005 landing. In June 2005, President George W. Bush instructed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to make an investigation into the practicality of direct commercial airline flights from the United States to Ercan).
TRNC's sea ports had been declared closed to all shipping by the Republic of Cyprus since the Turkish invasion in 1974. Turkey however ignores this declaration while TRNC-registered vessels have free access to Turkish sea ports (Note: In retaliation for the closure order, Turkey also refuses Cypriot-flagged ships to enter Turkish territorial waters, despite the signing of the EU Customs Union Protocol. In return, the European Union has demanded the lifting of the Turkish ban on Cypriot shipping and aviation and the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus as preconditions of Turkey's EU accession).
Anyone who has a TRNC immigration stamp may be refused entry by the Republic of Cyprus or Greece, although after the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU such restrictions have been eased following confidence-building measures by the Cypriot government. The Republic of Cyprus allows unrestricted passage across the Green Line from Nicosia into the Turkish-occupied north of the island, since TRNC does not require a visa or leave entry stamps for such visits.
See also
- List of cities in Cyprus for Greek, Turkish and Classical names.
- Elections in Cyprus
- Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation
- Türk Ajansi Kibris (TAK) News Agency
External Links
- Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus government site
- Constitution of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus