Yeni Şafak
March 31, 2022

Calls by Turkish community for ‘transparent’ census in North Macedonia ‘ignored’: Turkey

Turkey supports ‘legitimate demands’ of Turkish community in Balkan country, says Foreign Ministry spokesman

Turkey on Thursday expressed regret that North Macedonia “ignored” calls by the Turkish community for the “fairly and transparent” conduct of a census in the Balkan country.

***

“The results of the census demonstrated that those calls, unfortunately, had been ignored,” Tanju Bilgic, the spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, said in a written statement.

He also said it is important that North Macedonian authorities consider the statement made by the Macedonian Turks National Census Coordination Committee following the release of the census results.

***

The Balkan country’s population has shrunk by nearly 9.2 % since 2002 when the last census was conducted. The country’s total population is now around 1.8 million.

According to the results, 58.4% of the population are ethnic Macedonians, 24.3% are ethnic Albanians, and 3.8% are ethnic Turks plus some Roma, Serbs, Bosniaks, and Vlachs.

====

Republic of Turkiye
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
March 31, 2022

Meeting of Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu with Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, 31 March 2022

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu held a meeting in Ankara with Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on 31 March 2022.

Following the meeting, a joint press conference was held.

Minister Çavuşoğlu stated that they discussed matters on our common agenda such as the Cyprus issue, Maraş and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Minister Çavuşoğlu emphasized that we would continue to work together for the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriots.

====

Azeri Press Agency
March 31, 2022

Cavusoglu: “The same status should be provided for Turks living in Cyprus”

Turkey will continue to defend its rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as the rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, APA‘s Turkish correspondent reports.

Stating that the TRNC also has a rightful share in the region’s wealth, the minister called on the leadership Greek side of the island to refrain from insincere actions. He added that the international community should provide equal rights and status for Turks living on the island.