 reported on Tuesday.){kind=link}
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have appointed ambassadors to the Republic of Cyprus, signaling a shift in regional alignment that challenges Ankara’s Cyprus policy, BBC’s Turkish service (BBC Türkçe) reported on Tuesday.
The move comes after the three members of the Organization of Turkic States (TDT) pledged during an April 4 summit with the European Union in Samarkand to uphold United Nations Security Council resolutions 541 and 550, which condemn the 1983 declaration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC).
Kazakhstan was the first to announce its decision in January, agreeing with Cyprus to exchange ambassadors and open embassies.
Uzbekistan accredited its ambassador in Italy to Cyprus in December 2024, marking its first such diplomatic appointment to the island since establishing ties in 1997.
Turkmenistan followed on March 31, also accrediting its envoy in Italy to Cyprus.
The diplomatic moves were finalized just ahead of the April 3–4 EU–Central Asia summit hosted by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Samarkand.
The summit, attended by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, emphasized strengthened institutional, economic and trade ties.
The leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan atttended the summit, which the EU views as a cornerstone of its strategy to deepen ties with Central Asia amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s growing influence.
The EU pledged €12 billion in investments for the region and announced plans for enhanced partnership agreements with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
The joint declaration released during the summit underlined respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and reiterated support for UN resolutions opposing the KKTC’s recognition.
BBC Türkçe noted that the statement effectively binds future cooperation to adherence to these principles, aligning the three Turkic states with EU and UN positions on the Cyprus dispute.
Turkey, which promotes a two-state solution on the island, has not officially responded.
Ankara withdrew from UN-backed reunification talks after the 2017 Crans-Montana summit collapsed and has since pushed for international recognition of the KKTC.
In 2021 Turkish officials facilitated KKTC’s observer status in the TDT, and leader Ersin Tatar was invited as guest of honor to the 2024 summit in Bishkek.
That move drew criticism from the EU and the Republic of Cyprus, which feared growing Turkish influence in Central Asia could lead to recognition of the KKTC.
Ankara’s foreign ministry and the TDT’s Council of Elders, which includes former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, have remained silent on the recent developments.
Opposition parties in Turkey have criticized the lack of response from senior Turkish officials.