Republic Assembly and TBMM hold football match against sports embargoes

The Republic Assembly and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) held a friendly football match at the Küçük Kaymaklı Şehit Hüseyin Ruso Stadium to protest international isolation and sports embargoes against Turkish Cypriot youth.

Under the theme “Two Republics, One Heart,” the event featured speeches from Republic Assembly President Ziya Öztürkler, Minister of Interior and team captain Dursun Oğuz, former Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Suat Kılıç, and TBMM Parliamentarians Sports Club President Adem Tatlı. During the match, players wore black armbands to honor victims of a recent shipwreck in Kyrenia.

President Öztürkler emphasized the resilience of the Turkish Cypriot people and their continued struggle alongside Turkey. He called for the removal of isolations, noting that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly called for the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus at United Nations meetings. Minister Dursun Oğuz added that the gathering symbolized the connection between the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey and the 43rd anniversary of the TRNC.