Ankara has voiced strong opposition to the latest United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution extending the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), citing the failure to secure the consent of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

In a press release issued on Friday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed its full support for the TRNC's position regarding UNSC Resolution 2771 (2025), which was adopted on January 31, extending UNFICYP’s mission for another year.

The ministry criticized the Security Council for once again neglecting to obtain approval from the Turkish Cypriot side, calling it a violation of established UN principles. "We remind that the Force is able to carry out its activities in the territory of the TRNC solely on the basis of the goodwill of the TRNC authorities," the statement read, adding that there is an urgent need to establish a legal basis for the force's continued operations in Northern Cyprus.

Furthermore, Ankara denounced the resolution’s continued reference to outdated settlement models, arguing that such approaches fail to reflect the realities on the island. "We are deeply disappointed by the UN Security Council’s insistence on referring to outdated settlement models that are no longer on the agenda in the context of a possible settlement," the statement emphasized.

Reaffirming its commitment to a just and lasting resolution of the Cyprus issue, Türkiye reiterated that any settlement must be based on "the realities on the ground" and must recognize the Turkish Cypriot people's "sovereign equality and equal international status."

The TRNC, which is recognized only by Türkiye, has long opposed what it sees as the UN’s biased approach to the Cyprus dispute, arguing that peacekeeping operations on the island must be conducted with the formal consent of both communities.

With tensions over Cyprus’s future still unresolved, Türkiye called on the UN to acknowledge the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and adopt a more balanced approach in its peacekeeping efforts. (ILKHA)