Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the New Nicosia State Hospital and the opening ceremony of the Nicosia Northern Ring Road Interchange, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said,"It's time for the international community to make peace with the realities on the ground. Diplomatic, political, and economic relations must be established with the TRNC, and the decades-long injustice against Turkish Cypriots must end."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said,"No matter what door they closed to block the Turkish Cypriots' path, we always found new doors and new ways to open."
President Erdoğan attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the New Nicosia State Hospital and the opening ceremonies of the Nicosia Northern Ring Road Interchange and Connection Roads Project at the Presidential Campus of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Speaking here, Erdoğan reminded the audience that they were in the TRNC in May to inaugurate many works, saying,"By inaugurating the Cumhuriyet Campus, where we are currently located, we have set another mark on these lands. Now I see that the campus, with all its equipment, is truly impressive."
Erdoğan emphasized that significant progress has been made in the projects he announced at TEKNOFEST in the TRNC, saying,"Whatever door they close to block the Turkish Cypriots, we always find new doors and new ways to open them. Today, we are here with good news of new investments. On the 51st anniversary of the epic of peace and freedom we wrote together with the Turkish Cypriots, we are opening the Nicosia Northern Ring Road Interchange and Connection Roads, as well as the New Maraş Health Center."
"IT WILL REDUCE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN NICOSIA"
President Erdoğan stated that they continue to contribute to the strengthening of the transportation infrastructure of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, with the motto"Road is civilization."
President Erdoğan underlined that they have connected all four corners of the island with road construction, maintenance and repair works exceeding 800 kilometers in total, and that they continue to do so, and continued his words as follows:
With the completion of the Northern Ring Road Interchange and the completion of construction on the 4.5-kilometer section, 15.5 kilometers of the total 21-kilometer project will be completed. The project, which will be completed soon, will hopefully reduce traffic congestion in Nicosia and speed up the connection between Güzelyurt and Lefke to Ercan International Airport.
President Erdoğan stated that heavy-duty vehicles leaving the industrial zone will no longer enter the city center, saying,"Thanks to the project, a total of 2.1 billion lira will be saved annually, including 2.1 billion lira in time and 77 million lira in fuel, and more than 4,500 tons of carbon emissions will be prevented. In other words, traffic congestion will be reduced, air quality will improve, and Nicosia will be able to breathe fresh air."
President Erdoğan congratulated those who contributed to the project, which is based on safety in transportation, order in the city, and environmental awareness, and noted the following:
Today, we are also laying the foundation for the first phase of the Nicosia New State Hospital, which will have a 50,000-square-meter indoor area and a 320-bed capacity. Built to international standards, the hospital will house 110 intensive care beds, 12 operating rooms, and 80 outpatient clinics. A holistic healthcare complex will be established with state-of-the-art medical devices and specialized units. During the design of our new hospital, every opportunity was considered to ensure the efficient performance of our healthcare professionals. Our hospital, which will be constructed in two phases, represents one of the largest healthcare investments on the island in terms of bed capacity. Hopefully, we will all celebrate the opening of our hospital together.
"WHATEVER WAS BETTER FOR THE TURK, WE HAD TO DO THAT AND WE DID IT"
Erdoğan emphasized that they are working to ensure the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus achieves a strong, self-confident, and prosperous structure in every field, saying,"I told my dear brother, 'You were meeting us in a shack.' You remember the Presidential building. 'A shack,' we said. 'This doesn't suit us. Find a place for us. Let's build both the presidential office and the parliament building there, and, as my dear brother just mentioned, build another concept around it, and declare to the whole world that we are a state.' And when that happened, it happened. We had to do what was right for the Turks, and we did it."
President Erdoğan, pointing out that they prioritize projects that will meet the needs of Turkish Cypriots in fundamental areas such as agriculture, energy, water, and social housing, said,"We will do it. We said we would bring underwater water from Türkiye to here, and we did."
"WE HAVE ACHIEVED GREAT SUCCESS IN A SHORT TIME"
President Erdoğan stated that the circles that tried to break the resistance of the Turkish Cypriots years ago by citing the level of prosperity in the south of the island have now fallen silent.
Stating that the TRNC has embarked on an exemplary development initiative, Erdoğan continued:
We have achieved great success in a short time. We have been proud to bring various works, investments, and projects to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, from transportation to healthcare, technology to education, urban planning to irrigation, and agriculture to energy. Within the framework of the Economic and Financial Cooperation Agreement, we have made a total of 37 billion lira in resources available to you in the last two years. As you know, I am a President who attaches great importance to healthcare and transportation projects and sees these projects as the foundation of a country's development. My brother Ersin Bey has also offered his services here as a valuable companion at the forefront of this sincere effort.
Erdoğan stated that they have brought 10 health facilities with a total bed capacity of 516 and a closed area of 59,000 square meters to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the last 22 years.
Recalling that they opened the Kyrenia Military Hospital in November, President Erdoğan stated that the Yeni Maraş Health Center, which will be opened today, will facilitate access to healthcare services for the local population in a 1,000-square-meter indoor area.
President Erdoğan stated that this center, equipped with every detail from emergency rooms to examination units, laboratories to imaging infrastructure, has significantly improved the quality of healthcare services in the Maraş region. He said,"The Pamuklu and Lapta Health Centers, as well as Güzelyurt Hospital, are progressing rapidly. We will, God willing, open the fourth phase of the new Güzelyurt State Hospital before the end of this year."
Erdoğan, who informed that the construction of Pamuklu State Hospital will begin soon, continued his words as follows:
We are completing the renovation of the units within the Doctor Burhan Nalbantoğlu Health Campus within the next year. In addition to our hospital investments, we are nearing completion of the construction of community clinics where our citizens living in villages and rural areas can receive outpatient treatment without having to travel to the district. Hopefully, we will all be able to inaugurate these projects together on our next visit.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said,"Diplomatic, political, and economic relations must be established with the TRNC, and the injustice that has been meted out to Turkish Cypriots for decades must end. We wholeheartedly believe that this will eventually happen."
Erdoğan attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the New Nicosia State Hospital and the opening ceremonies of the Nicosia Northern Ring Road Interchange and Connection Roads Project at the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Presidential Campus.
In his speech, Erdoğan said that tourism plays a vital role in the economic growth of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and its visibility in the global arena.
Stating that they renovated Ercan Airport to meet the needs of the age, Erdoğan said,"We have made the TRNC the shining star of the Eastern Mediterranean, not only in transportation but also in tourism, employment, and investments."
Erdoğan recalled that they had previously provided significant support to strengthen the digital capacity of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus through data security and e-government efforts in the field of digitalization. He stated that they had established systems to facilitate the delivery of public services in a digital environment, paving the way for citizens to conduct their transactions more quickly and securely, and that they were now taking this process even further with fiber infrastructure investments.
"We are ending the Turkish Cypriots' centuries-old water shortage, and after drinking water, we are taking revolutionary steps in agricultural irrigation," Erdoğan said."We are increasing productivity with the Mesarya Plain irrigation line, and strengthening the entire production chain, from citrus packaging facilities to cold storage, from feed production centers to livestock support. Rural development is being revitalized with fishing ports and agricultural laboratories."
President Erdoğan stated that they attach importance to schooling in education, that the maintenance and repair of 12 schools has been completed in this context, that work is continuing in 13 schools, and that the new school to be built in the Gönyeli Region will meet a large portion of the region's needs.
-"WE PROVIDED 300 MILLION LIRA IN RESOURCES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS"
President Erdoğan stated that they are determinedly advancing towards the goals of a strong society and a strong future with policies that touch not only the individual but also the family and society, and that work is ongoing to establish Family Support Centers and Social Service Centers.
Underlining that technical work to strengthen supply security in the energy sector continues unabated, Erdoğan noted the following:
The Submarine Cable Electricity Transmission Project from Türkiye is progressing within this framework. As this strategic project progresses, we have also commissioned seven mobile power plants to ensure short-term supply security. We have provided 300 million lira in resources for the infrastructure projects of 18 municipalities. I want everyone to know this: Every step we take, every stone we erect, is not just a building, a road, or a facility; it is also a symbol of our brotherhood, solidarity, and our shared belief in the future. We are here for the unity, solidarity, peace, and prosperity of the Turkish Cypriots of Northern Cyprus. We will always be here.
Erdoğan continued his words as follows:
We are in complete harmony with President Ersin Tatar and the government of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in building the political and economic future of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. What do we say to this? 'Crescent Star, We Are on the Same Path.' We fully support the vision of a two-state solution put forth by Mr. Ersin Tatar. It is time for the international community to reconcile with the realities on the ground. Diplomatic, political, and economic relations must be established with the TRNC, and the injustice that has been meted out to the Turkish Cypriots for decades must end. We wholeheartedly believe that this will eventually happen.
May God guide our march to its destination. I pray that He may not give those who seek to sow discord among us the opportunity. As I conclude my remarks with these thoughts, I once again congratulate you on July 20th, Peace and Freedom Day, which we will soon be celebrating with great excitement and pride. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to these distinguished projects, from the workers and engineers to the technicians and architects, from the contractors to our institutions and organizations.
- Notes
Following his speech, President Erdoğan held the groundbreaking ceremonies with TRNC President Ersin Tatar, TRNC Republican Assembly President Ziya Öztürkler, TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, ministers from Turkey and the TRNC, President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş, and TRNC President of Religious Affairs Hakan Moral.
Erdoğan, who made a live broadcast to lay the foundation stone of the New Nicosia State Hospital, was first welcomed by Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu and TRNC Health Minister Hakan Dinçyürek.
Minister Memişoğlu said,"Together with our brothers, we are laying the foundation of a hospital with the city hospital concept, which is your vision and dream."
President Erdoğan stated that the hospital's construction will be seen in a short time.
Erdoğan then made a live connection to the opening ceremony of the Nicosia Northern Ring Road Interchange and Connection Roads Project, attended by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and TRNC Public Works and Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı.
Minister Uraloğlu stated that they had opened a 4.5-kilometer section of the Nicosia Northern Ring Road, a total of 10.5 kilometers, with the Kyrenia Interchange, and wished it all the best.
President Erdoğan expressed his wishes for the Nicosia Northern Ring Road Interchange and Connection Roads Project to be beneficial.
I wholeheartedly thank everyone who contributed to these distinguished projects. I wish them all the best.—Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) July20, 2025
President Erdoğan - TRNC President Tatar
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with President Ersin Tatar in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, where he arrived to attend the July 20 Peace and Freedom Day ceremonies on the 51st anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ersin Tatar.
Erdoğan met with Tatar at the TRNC Presidency before the July 20 Peace and Freedom Day ceremonies.
