Cold front in the Turkic union? Central Asia sides with EU on the Cyprus issue

On May 20–21, an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. This marked the organization’s first summit in the heart of Europe. Just weeks earlier, on April 3–4, the city of Samarkand had hosted the first "European Union – Central Asia" summit, which drew significant attention and controversy. At the core of the issue were the decisions adopted at that summit and the subsequent actions taken by the European Union against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a state recognized only by Turkey.

As previously reported, in the declaration adopted after the Samarkand summit, the five Central Asian republics—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—agreed, alongside the European Union, not to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The declaration, signed by the Presidents of Kazakhstan (Kassym-Jomart Tokayev), Kyrgyzstan (Sadyr Japarov), Tajikistan (Emomali Rahmon), Turkmenistan (Serdar Berdimuhamedov), and Uzbekistan (Shavkat Mirziyoyev), as well as by President of the European Council António Costa, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Odile Renaud-Basso, included a notable statement in paragraph 4.

That paragraph reaffirmed the commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states in international and regional forums and the principle of refraining from any actions that contradict these values.

“In the same spirit, we reaffirmed our commitment to UN Security Council Resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984). We stressed that participation in regional cooperation structures should be guided by these international principles, which are of great importance for the development of relations between the EU and Central Asia. In this regard, Turkmenistan recalled that it will strictly implement its international obligations in accordance with the principles of permanent neutrality,” the declaration stated.

These UN resolutions are widely interpreted as rejecting the recognition of the TRNC and prohibiting any form of cooperation with the territory. To this day, Turkey remains the only country that officially recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

All Central Asian countries except Tajikistan—namely, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan (full members of the Organization of Turkic States), along with Hungary and Turkmenistan (observers)—participated in the organization’s 2022 summit in Samarkand, where the TRNC was granted observer status. The decision was made in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Despite this, the recent reaffirmation by Central Asian countries of their non-recognition and non-cooperation with the TRNC, alongside their appointment of ambassadors to the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus (backed by the EU), has caused significant outrage in Turkey.

This move, particularly by four members and observers of the Turkic States Organization, was seen by many Turkish politicians as a betrayal. Critics described it as a blow to the ideals of Turkic unity and questioned the effectiveness of the organization itself. Accusations were raised that these countries had traded the symbolic value of Turkic solidarity for the €12 billion in economic agreements pledged by the European Union to Central Asia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has not commented publicly on the situation.

Only Hulusi Akar, former Minister of Defense of Turkey and current Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Grand National Assembly, openly addressed the growing controversy over the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Speaking at the 2nd Meeting of the Chairmen of the National Defense and Security Commissions of the Turkic States Parliamentary Assembly (TURKPA) in Baku on April 15, Akar criticized the European Union’s stance:

“We cannot accept the European Union acting as the mouthpiece of the Greek Cypriots of Southern Cyprus and trying to pressure the states of the Turkic world not to invite the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to their events. To end this pressure, it is a historic responsibility for all of us to ensure clear and strong recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus by the Turkic world and to work toward its full membership in Turkic organizations,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ersin Tatar, President of the TRNC, called on Central Asian states—especially the Turkic republics—to be cautious in their relations with Greece, Cyprus, and the EU.

“Turkic countries should be a bit more careful in their dealings with the Greek side. Yes, they can have relations with the EU, which is a political alliance, but the EU is not governed by 800,000 Greek Cypriots. Turkic countries can even engage with the Greek Cypriots, but they should do so cautiously. The Greek side is playing a very different and, frankly, inhumane game. The Greek Cypriots should be told that until the rights and status of the Turkish Cypriots are acknowledged, discussions will have to wait,” Tatar stated.

In the midst of growing criticism, Alisher Kadyrov, Vice-Speaker of Uzbekistan’s Legislative Chamber, emphasized the need for stronger economic independence in Central Asia to ensure unity among Turkic states. He added that the region must act from a position of strength and understanding.

“Turkey once accepted the occupation of Turkestan due to lack of power. Now it must understand why Central Asia cannot weigh Northern Cyprus and Crimea on separate scales,” Kadyrov said.

Despite the Central Asian republics reaffirming their non-recognition of the TRNC at the “European Union – Central Asia” summit, significant developments followed. On May 1–2, the 17th meeting of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Lefkoşa (Nicosia), the capital of the TRNC. A representative from Uzbekistan participated in the event, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the TRNC the next day, on May 3.

However, at the informal summit in Budapest, no representative from the TRNC was present. Ersin Tatar, who had previously attended such gatherings and even sat at the table of heads of state, was absent. Also absent was Turkmenistan, which likely refrained from participation due to its permanent neutrality—a position reaffirmed in the EU-Central Asia summit document that reiterated non-recognition of the TRNC. The TRNC's absence in Budapest likely stemmed from Hungary’s status as a member of the European Union, which prohibits hosting officials from unrecognized territories. However, the TRNC was still mentioned during the summit. As part of the adopted documents, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was granted observer status in the Turkic Academy. While this may be considered a symbolic or limited role, the gesture is significant: the TRNC, strongly opposed by the European Union, was acknowledged at a summit held in the very heart of Europe. Its name was pronounced openly, and its participation in Turkic institutions was actively discussed—even as it remains unrecognized by the EU.

“We believe that the family portrait of the Turkic world is incomplete without the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. That’s why we see today’s decision to grant observer status to the TRNC in the Turkic Academy as an important step. I hope the day is not far when the TRNC becomes a full member of our organization,” President Erdoğan stated.

A key question emerges: if the summit in Budapest was informal, why were official documents adopted? While this is not unprecedented, the difference lies in the geopolitical sensitivity of the host country. Elevating the summit’s status or openly discussing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) could have negatively affected Hungary’s standing within the European Union and strained relations with its allies. In this context, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán appears to have shielded himself from diplomatic complications by maintaining the summit’s informal status and avoiding an invitation to Turkish Cypriot representatives.

Nonetheless, the final declaration adopted at the summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) reaffirmed the intention to integrate the TRNC—an entity not recognized by the international community—more fully into the Turkic world. Currently, the TRNC holds observer status in the OTS, alongside Hungary and Turkmenistan.

The document also reflected a shared intention among the Turkic states to deepen economic and financial cooperation with the TRNC.

Beyond Cyprus, the declaration addressed a range of international issues. It called for the preservation of Syria’s territorial integrity and the lifting of sanctions on the country. It also urged a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasizing the Palestinians’ right to live in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The summit participants also agreed to develop a unified approach to relations with Afghanistan. A working group will be created for this purpose, and the leaders have adopted a joint statement focused entirely on Afghanistan.

The statement described Afghanistan as a “neighboring and brotherly state” for the Turkic world. It praised the shared historical and cultural ties with the Afghan people, especially with ethnic Turkic groups, and emphasized the importance of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inclusive governance based on the UN Charter. The declaration called for respect for the human rights of all Afghan citizens and condemned terrorism. While acknowledging the efforts of Afghanistan’s de facto authorities in improving national security and enforcing a poppy cultivation ban, the statement stressed the need for ongoing work to curb narcotics production and trafficking.

The leaders also expressed grave concern over Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation. They urged the international community to continue aid efforts and emphasized the importance of improving the country’s economic conditions. These improvements, the statement said, could help support the voluntary and sustainable return of displaced Afghans.

Another notable aspect of OTS summits is the traditional participation of First Ladies, which distinguishes them from typical political meetings. While heads of state focus on political, economic, and security issues, as well as current global conflicts, their spouses usually engage in parallel programs. These often include tea ceremonies, art and clothing exhibitions, and discussions on social topics such as ecology, disability rights, and women’s and children’s issues. First Ladies Emine Erdoğan (Turkey) and Ziroat Mirziyoyeva (Uzbekistan) have been especially active in recent years, with Kyrgyzstan’s Oygul Japarova increasingly joining their ranks. However, at the Budapest summit, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not bring his wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has never brought his wife to such events.

Though the wives of Orbán, Erdoğan, Mirziyoyev, and Japarov were reportedly present in Budapest, they were not seen together in public. It remains unclear whether they met privately or skipped joint engagements altogether. Only one official photo—published on the Turkish presidential website—shows Emine Erdoğan, Oygul Japarova, and Anikó Lévai attending a cultural event at the Hungarian State Opera. There is no public confirmation or photo evidence of President Mirziyoyev or his wife attending this event.

It’s also worth noting that all visiting presidents held both narrow and expanded meetings with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. However, unlike in past summits, no one-on-one meetings between the heads of state were reported. Additionally, their press offices did not release footage of private or candid discussions outside official sessions—an element that had become a hallmark of previous OTS gatherings.