The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived on an official visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognized only by Ankara, the Anadolu Agency reports, BTA reports.
During his visit, Erdogan is expected to inaugurate a new government building complex symbolizing Turkey's support for the governing institutions in the TRNC.
The Turkish head of state is accompanied by a high-ranking delegation on the visit, including Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu, Youth and Sports Minister Osman Ashken Bak, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, ruling Justice and Development Party spokesman Ömer Çelik, Turkish Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and Chief Foreign Policy and Security Advisor Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey launched a military intervention on the island in response to a Greek coup aimed at annexing the country to Greece. The result was the creation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey, which maintains over 35,000 military personnel there.
The Republic of Cyprus became a member of the European Union in 2004, but the benefits of membership apply only to the southern part of the island, inhabited by Greek Cypriots.