Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz met with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar on Saturday at the Presidential Complex in Lefkosa and discussed efforts to boost bilateral cooperation.
In a post following the meeting, Yilmaz said they discussed “steps to further strengthen Türkiye-TRNC relations in every field,” as well as regional developments, future economic cooperation, and digital transformation in public services.
Turkish Vice President Yilmaz also attended a Türkiye-TRNC police service vehicle handover ceremony.
In his speech, Yilmaz said they proudly marked the 454th anniversary of the conquest of Cyprus, as well as the founding anniversaries of the Turkish Resistance Organisation and the Security Forces Command, celebrated on August 1 as the Day of Social Resistance.
He emphasised that under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership, Türkiye continues to stand by the Turkish Cypriots in all areas from education and healthcare to transportation, infrastructure, energy, and agriculture.
Yilmaz noted that Türkiye-TRNC cooperation includes sharing expertise in public services, coordination during natural disasters, and the provision of equipment and vehicles.
“Under the spirit of Türkiye-TRNC cooperation, we are putting 29 new vehicles into service today, 24 service vehicles and 5 fire trucks,” he said.
“Of the 24 police service vehicles we donated, 12 were supplied under the Financial Support Program.”
Yilmaz said that, in addition to the vehicles, 19 types of technical equipment, fingerprint scanners, mobile systems, IT infrastructure support, and uniforms for motorcycle police were also provided, enhancing both institutional capacity and working conditions in the field.
“A central unit has been established. With GöçNet integration and six mobile migration vehicles, border security in the TRNC is now much stronger, and efforts against irregular migration are far more effective, just as we are intensifying this fight in Türkiye,” he added.
Disaster preparedness
The vice president also attended the opening of the TRNC Earthquake Monitoring and Assessment Centre in the capital, Lefkosa, established with the support of Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
Yilmaz said they take pride in AFAD’s work and emphasised that Türkiye’s technical expertise will be shared with the TRNC.
Noting that both countries lie in seismic zones, he stressed the importance of managing all phases of an earthquake effectively.
Yilmaz also posted on X that the centre, strengthened with nationally developed software, has brought the TRNC a science-based and data-driven earthquake analysis infrastructure.
“The system offers not only monitoring but also critical capabilities for early warning, damage assessment, and crisis management,” he noted.
TRNC President Ersin Tatar, also speaking at the opening ceremony, emphasised the importance of disaster preparedness across all institutions and thanked Türkiye for its steps to enhance the TRNC’s capacity.
