ISTANBUL

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said the goal is to position the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as “a shining star” in the Eastern Mediterranean, with a focus on science, technology and information technology.

Speaking at an economic evaluation meeting in Girne on Friday, alongside TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel, Yilmaz said Türkiye, as the guarantor state, sees strengthening the TRNC’s political sovereignty, economic resilience and institutional capacity as a strategic responsibility.

Yilmaz stressed that ensuring the TRNC develops a competitive economy that can grow with its resources and adapt to global conditions is “an integral part of our shared destiny and national cause."

He noted that an economic and financial cooperation agreement worth 21 billion Turkish liras ($485,251) was implemented in 2025, and the trade volume has reached $2.8 billion.

Efforts are underway to increase TRNC exports to Türkiye through more complementary production in areas such as agriculture and industry, he said. “We need to be two complementary economies.”

He also called for stronger mutual investment between the two sides, saying TRNC citizens should invest more in Türkiye and Turkish citizens should invest more in the TRNC, adding that investments form the foundation of trade and boosting reciprocal investment would also increase trade.