Turkish media: "The possibility of annexing Northern Cyprus is visible"

The debate over the fate of Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus is returning to Turkish media and public discourse, not as a theoretical scenario but as a concrete political plan of Ankara.

According to an article by Yalçın Bayer in the Hürriyet newspaper, the Turkish government has two action plans ready for the region — one on the independence of Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Ankara, and a second on annexation.

The first plan, as Bayer notes, bears the stamp of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. During his recent trips to Qatar and the United States, the Turkish president repeatedly stressed that the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" will remain a sovereign and independent state, regardless of the political situation in the Occupied Territories.

This strategy aims to internationalize a de facto state entity, which, however, remains completely politically and economically dependent on Ankara.

The second part of the plan — the so-called “Plan B” — comes from Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Erdoğan's government partner. According to Bayer, Bahçeli has openly referred to the possibility of annexation of the Occupied Territories, using a term that until recently was considered taboo even for the Turkish media.

The journalist notes that the two plans are not contradictory but complementary, as they offer Ankara flexibility depending on international developments and relations with the West.

Bayer emphasizes that Ankara is keeping all options open for the Turkish-occupied territories. Ankara's strategy seems to oscillate between international recognition and full integration, depending on the political and geopolitical context.

"Turkey has a clear position regarding the Occupied Territories and may combine the two plans, implementing a complex policy. We will live to see," Bayer wrote in his article for Hürriyet.

The “Plans A and B” for the Occupied Territories show a Turkey that leaves nothing to chance and is methodically shaping the future of the Cyprus issue. Whether through recognition of the Occupied Territories or through full integration, Ankara’s message is clear: the policy of sovereignty in Cyprus is a central priority for the Turkish state.

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