The €12 Billion Betrayal: Turkic States Sell Out the TRNC

Background Context

Sabahattin İsmail's incisive report, titled "HOW THE ‘BROTHERLY’ STATES SOLD OUT THE TRNC FOR 12 BILLION DOLLARS!!", offers a startling glimpse into the recent EU–Central Asia Summit held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. İsmail, writing directly from Uzbekistan, asserts:

"In short — they sold out the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) for €12 billion and broader EU cooperation." Sabahattin Ismail, Journalist

The article, published on İsmail’s social platforms, meticulously documents how economic incentives offered by the European Union have significantly undermined the solidarity traditionally professed among Turkic nations.

Economic Lure or Strategic Trap?

The Samarkand summit, attended by Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan alongside top EU officials, unveiled a €12 billion investment package explicitly designed to foster deeper EU-Central Asia strategic relationships. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the investment as mutually beneficial, emphasizing infrastructure, resource extraction, environmental initiatives, and digital connectivity.

Von der Leyen notably remarked:

"Your strategic location can open global trade routes and investment flows. Our partnership will create new opportunities in sectors like energy, tourism, trade, and transportation." Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President

Yet, the facade of economic cooperation quickly revealed its underlying geopolitical agenda. The EU, anxious to isolate Russia and limit China’s influence, leveraged this financial incentive to secure strategic alignments within Central Asia. This approach blatantly disregarded historical Turkic alliances, especially those involving Türkiye and the TRNC.

Conditions and Concessions: Selling Out the TRNC

Central Asian leaders, lured by significant financial promises, faced intense pressure to meet specific demands imposed by the EU—conditions strategically pushed by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration. These included:

Key agreed conditions:

• Recognition of the so-called Republic of Cyprus as the island’s only legitimate government.
• Appointment of ambassadors exclusively to the Greek Cypriot administration.
• Explicit denial of the TRNC's sovereignty and refusal to acknowledge Türkiye’s legitimate protective presence.
• Denial of full TRNC membership in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

As a direct result

• Kazakhstan recently denied a visa to the TRNC President, invited as an observer to an OTS Summit.
• Uzbekistan, though pressured by Türkiye into granting a last-minute visa, meticulously avoided meaningful engagement.
• Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan appointed ambassadors to the Greek Cypriot administration, demonstrating a clear departure from their previous stance of solidarity with Türkiye.

İsmail highlights that even French President Macron personally traveled to Kazakhstan to exert direct influence, underscoring how far-reaching and aggressive the EU's geopolitical maneuvering has become.

Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Loss

The article criticizes the Turkic states' decisions as dangerously shortsighted, emphasizing that the TRNC is strategically indispensable not only for Türkiye’s security but as a pivotal element of stability and protection for the entire Turkic world. İsmail writes:

"They ignored how crucial the TRNC is to Türkiye’s security, and how it also serves as a security umbrella for the entire Turkic world." Sabahattin Ismail (journalist)

By placing temporary economic benefits above enduring alliances, these states risk fracturing trust and weakening collective geopolitical strength, potentially leaving them vulnerable to future pressures from global powers such as the US, Russia, China, and indeed, the EU itself.

A Call for Strategic Reassessment

This profound breach in solidarity demands that Türkiye reassesses its diplomatic strategy and alliances. The Turkic states' eagerness to prioritize economic opportunities—secured at the cost of Türkiye and the TRNC—necessitates a candid evaluation of Türkiye’s relationships within the OTS framework.

Given these realities, Türkiye must:

• Develop alternative diplomatic channels independent of economic coercion.
• Strengthen direct bilateral engagements that secure the TRNC's international standing.
• Reevaluate the role and influence of the OTS within Türkiye's broader foreign policy.

TCE Conclusion: Defending Sovereignty, Preserving Dignity

İsmail’s critical exposé underscores an urgent need for renewed vigilance and diplomatic clarity from Türkiye and the TRNC. Short-term economic gains must not dictate geopolitical alliances, nor can true friendship be bought or sold.

As İsmail concludes:

Türkiye’s future security and the legitimacy of the TRNC hinge on clear-eyed, principled diplomacy, committed not only to economic development but also to unyielding defense of sovereignty and integrity.

"Türkiye must now rethink its relations with the OTS members, and restructure a new mindset." Sabahattin Ismail (journalist)

Türkiye’s future security and the legitimacy of the TRNC hinge on clear-eyed, principled diplomacy, committed not only to economic development but also to unyielding defense of sovereignty and integrity.