Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

The declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was a unilateral declaration of independence from the Republic of Cyprus by the Turkish Cypriot parliament on 15 November 1983.

Declaration of Independence of Northern Cyprus
1983 copy of the original UDI of NC
Created	5 November 1983
Ratified	15 November 1983
Location	TRNC
Author(s)	Prof. Dr. Turan Fevzioğlu, Osman Ertuğ, Necati Münir Ertekün, Tugay Uluçevik^[1]
Signatories	40 Turkish-Cypriot parliament members
Purpose	Emphasizing independence, freedom, and sovereignty of Turkish Cypriots, and realising self-determination of the nation

Eight years after the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus was proclaimed (in 1975), the declaration of North Cyprus was presented to the Turkish Cypriot parliament in North Nicosia by Turkish Cypriot Leader and Northern Cypriot State President Rauf Denktaş on November 15, 1983. Containing text espousing human rights and a desire to live side-by-side with the Greek Cypriot population, it ended with a declaration that Northern Cyprus was an independent and sovereign state, naming the entity the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The Turkish Cypriot Parliament passed a unanimous resolution later that day ratifying the declaration.

Background

The declaration

 

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Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Reactions

The United Nations Security Council issued two resolutions (541 and 550) proclaiming that the Turkish Cypriot UDI was legally invalid and requesting that no other sovereign state should recognise the declaration and asked for its withdrawal.^[2][3]

Recognition

UN Countries and the Others

Turkey formally recognized Northern Cyprus on the day its UDI was declared. The parliament of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, which is a self-governing exclave of Azerbaijan, has issued a resolution recognising the TRNC as a sovereign nation.

The decision of International Court of Justice on the declarations of independences

On 22 July 2010, the United Nations' International Court of Justice non-legally-bindingly decided (in relation to Kosovo) that "International law contains no prohibition on declarations of independence"; see Political status of Kosovo. The ruling was expected to bolster demands for recognition by Northern Cyprus.^[4][5] The decision of UN ICJ was regarded an inspirational way and another option for Turkish Cypriots. ^[6]

See also

• Federated state

References

1. Star Kibris Politics 19.11.2011
2. Text of Resolution 541 at undocs.org
3. Text of Resolution 550 at undocs.org
4. "Kosovo's independence is legal, world court rules". Peter Beaumont, The Guardian (UK), 22.07.2010. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
5. "Kosovo's independence is legal, UN court rules". Peter Beaumont, The Guardian (UK), 22.07.2010. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
6. ""Can Kosovo Be A Sample For Cyprus"". Cuneyt Yenigun, International Conference on Balkan and North Cyprus Relations: Perspectives in Political, Economic and Strategic Studies Center for Strategic Studies, 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2020. After the ICJ’s decision on Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independency, TRNC gained a huge advantage on the negotiation table and also an innovative Neo-Wilsonist path reopened in international arena. Can Kosovo be a sample for Northern Cyprus? According to international law, previous decisions are not become a precedent. But practically especially after the advisory opinion of ICJ in 2010, it surely will be inspirational way and another option for Cyprus and Cypriot Turks.