Azernews.Az

By News Centre

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye will maintain its unwavering support for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), emphasizing that any proposal disregarding the sovereign equality and legitimate rights of Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean is destined to fail. Speaking after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan also announced a series of new infrastructure investments aimed at strengthening the TRNC's long-term development.

Referring to the recent commemoration of the 52nd anniversary of the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, Erdogan described the intervention as a defining moment that ensured the security and future of Turkish Cypriots. He reiterated that the Cyprus issue is not merely a question of power-sharing but one centered on the recognition of the Turkish Cypriots' sovereign equality and equal international status.

Erdogan also welcomed recent diplomatic efforts led by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, saying Türkiye continues to back initiatives that could pave the way for a fair, lasting and sustainable settlement. "Türkiye will never abandon Turkish Cypriot brothers and will never allow the hardships of the past to be repeated," he said, adding that Ankara remains vigilant against attempts to reshape Cyprus through new geopolitical or military strategies.

Highlighting future development plans, Erdogan announced that Türkiye will continue investing in strategic infrastructure across the TRNC. Among the projects is a subsea natural gas pipeline designed to strengthen the island's energy security, following earlier initiatives that addressed its freshwater needs.

He said cooperation between Ankara and the TRNC is expanding across tourism, higher education, technology and digital transformation, with the goal of enhancing economic growth and positioning the Eastern Mediterranean as a region of stability and prosperity.

Addressing regional affairs, Erdogan accused Israel of expanding its occupation of Palestinian territories through settlement activity and military policies in both the occupied West Bank and Gaza. He argued that these developments continue to undermine regional stability and affect not only Palestinians and Lebanese people but the broader Middle East.

Turning to the economy, Erdogan said the Cabinet reviewed policies covering energy, foreign affairs and Türkiye's production capacity. He announced an increase in the daily rediscount credit limit for exporters from 4.5 billion Turkish liras to 5 billion liras, while subsidized investment loans were expanded from 500 billion liras to 750 billion liras. An additional 250 billion liras in financing was also allocated to the manufacturing sector, bringing the government's total support package for production, investment, exports and employment to 1 trillion liras.

Erdogan further announced new measures to protect employment, including a monthly support payment of 3,500 liras for each employee working at licensed tourism facilities. He added that the government has introduced an additional 60 billion liras in Treasury-backed financing and will continue providing support to labor-intensive industries such as textiles, apparel, leather and furniture manufacturing.