TRNC business association proposes 7-point plan to counter the isolation of Northern Cyprus

The Turkish Cypriot Entrepreneurs Association (İŞAD) has called for the launch of an international lobbying campaign against the isolation of Northern Cyprus and presented a 7-point plan. The association’s chairman, Enver Mamülcü, said that the obstacles preventing Turkish Cypriots from participating in international economic, social, cultural and sporting life had reached an unacceptable level.

The plan calls for the creation of an International Lobbying Platform, stronger ties with civil society in the Turkic world, the EU, Britain and the United States, multilingual information campaigns and the formation of expert working groups. İŞAD said it was ready to take an active role in this work.

The appeal was prompted by the cancellation of events that had already been announced: the cancellation of Barcelona’s youth football camp in the TRNC and the cancellation of the NEXUS music festival. According to him, sport, culture and art are being used as instruments of political pressure.

Mamülcü also criticised measures targeting the education sector and the real estate market, and said that the rights to free movement and trade guaranteed by the EU Green Line Regulation were being arbitrarily restricted by the Greek Cypriot side. At the same time, in his assessment, the TRNC authorities were making insufficient efforts to protect these rights.

The head of İŞAD stressed that this was not about confrontation with any society, but about combating the isolation, discrimination and silencing of Turkish Cypriots. A lasting peace in Cyprus, he said, is achieved by increasing contact between the communities rather than driving them apart: political disagreements should not prevent young people from taking part in sports, scientists from conducting research, or entrepreneurs from trading.