TRNC police present security data for the first seven months of the year

The TRNC Police General Directorate has published detailed data on the security situation in the country for the first seven months of 2026.

According to the data presented, the total number of crimes and offences has continued to decline for the second consecutive year. From January to July 2026, 2,751 crimes and offences were registered, compared with 3,004 during the same period in 2025. The decrease was approximately 8%. Compared with 2021, the total number of such cases has fallen by more than 30%.

At the same time, the crime clearance rate reached 99.13% in the first seven months of the year — the highest figure in the past six years. The police emphasised that almost all registered crimes had been solved.

In 2026, 3,831 people were denied entry to the TRNC following interviews and assessments conducted by migration service officers and specialists in risk analysis and profiling.

In addition, 1,180 people who did not have legal residency status or who had been identified in connection with other offences were deported from the country during inspections.

The police also reported a decrease in road fatalities. From January to July 2026, there were 19 fatal road accidents in which 23 people died. During the same period in 2025, 25 such accidents and 27 deaths were recorded.

Thus, the number of fatal road accidents decreased by 24%, while the number of deaths fell by approximately 15%. Compared with 2023, the decrease was approximately 32% in the number of fatal accidents and approximately 26% in the number of fatalities.

At the same time, the number of registered vehicles in the TRNC has increased significantly. Between 2016 and 2026, their number rose by approximately 173% — from 182,000 to more than 498,000. From 2023 to 2026 alone, the increase was approximately 26%.

In July, the police recorded 309 road accidents, inspected 96,881 vehicles, took 1,483 vehicles off the road and issued 16,161 traffic tickets. The violations included, among other things, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving without a licence and speeding.

To improve road safety, a joint working platform was established as part of the «Zero Road Deaths» goal. It includes the Police General Directorate, the Traffic Department and the Highways Department of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, as well as professional chambers, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders.

The police also pointed to the need to improve legislation in response to changes in the nature of crime. In its assessment, organised crime, financial and cybercrime, human trafficking and international criminal links are becoming increasingly complex and require modern investigative methods, including technical surveillance, financial analysis and the examination of digital evidence.

Separately, the Police General Directorate called for the authorised number of police officers to be increased from 3,000 to 4,500. The police explained that the country’s population, the number of vehicles, the number of work and residence permits issued, the student population and the volume of incoming and outgoing traffic had increased significantly, while the legally established police force has remained at 3,000 officers for many years.

At the same time, the actual number of personnel remains below the established staffing level, and approximately 17.5% of authorised positions remain vacant.

The police consider an increase in staffing necessary to improve the effectiveness of the fight against organised crime, drugs, financial and cybercrime, strengthen migration control, prevent violence against women and children, and reinforce traffic and community policing.

The Police General Directorate stated that the official figures indicate a decline in crime and the number of fatal road accidents, as well as a high crime clearance rate.

«The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a safe country,» the statement said. At the same time, the police stressed that maintaining this level of security requires strengthening its personnel, legislative, technological and infrastructure capabilities.