On November 11, 2022, during the Samarkand Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), Turkish President Recep Erdoğan made the following statement: “In accordance with the rights of our brotherhood, we have accepted the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as an observer state in our organization. We have also contributed to the peace process by showing that our Cypriot brothers, who are an integral part of the Turkic world, are not alone. For demonstrating this unity, I express my gratitude to each of you.”

At noon Tashkent time, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu tweeted that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus had been granted observer status in the Organization of Turkic States. The minister emphasized Ankara’s continued commitment to supporting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Later, an official post on Turkish President Erdoğan’s Twitter account read: “Today, we fulfilled the duty dictated by our brotherly rights. We decided to grant observer status in the Organization of Turkic States to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. I thank the leaders of the brotherly countries for supporting this historic step.”

This sensational news quickly spread worldwide

On the same day, a telephone conversation took place between President Recep Erdoğan and the head of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar. They discussed the inclusion of the partially recognized state as an observer member of the OTS.

Meanwhile, leading Russian news agencies published this news in a distorted manner. TASS reported that “Turkey proposes granting Northern Cyprus observer status in the Organization of Turkic States.” REN-TV published an article titled “Erdoğan proposes giving Northern Cyprus observer status in the OTS”.

Uzbek services of Radio Liberty and BBC, along with most information agencies in Uzbekistan, echoed this rhetoric.

To put a cherry on the cake of this misinformation, Uzbek authorities orchestrated a small spectacle. After the conclusion of the OTS summit meetings, Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov held a briefing for journalists, where he addressed a single question prepared by the ministry’s press secretary, Yusuf Kabuljanov.

Gulnoza Khusanova, the editor-in-chief of the pro-Russian Uzreport TV channel, posed the following question in Russian to Foreign Minister Norov, which was later published on the ministry’s website:

“Assalamu alaikum. My question is for Foreign Minister Mr. Norov. Was a document signed today regarding the acceptance of Northern Cyprus as an observer state in the Organization? If so, does this signify recognition of Northern Cyprus as an independent state? Thank you”.

Minister Vladimir Norov’s response: “Thank you for the question. First of all, I would like to clarify this issue. Firstly, no separate decision regarding Northern Cyprus was signed following the summit. Secondly, I would like to emphasize that Uzbekistan strictly adheres to the universally recognized principles and norms of international law, particularly concerning the respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of states. Therefore, there can be no question of recognizing Northern Cyprus as an independent state”.

With these actions, the cowardly and unprincipled Mirziyoyev regime portrayed Turkish President Recep Erdoğan as a liar and slanderer before the international community.

Despite the Mirziyoyev regime’s retraction of its promises made directly to Turkish President Recep Erdoğan, on November 12, 2022, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release stating that “The decision to grant observer status to the TRNC, one of the two states on the island of Cyprus, was unanimously adopted at the OTS summit attended by our President in Samarkand on November 11, 2022”.

The Wikipedia pages for the Organization of Turkic States in English, Turkish, and other languages also list Northern Cyprus, along with Hungary and Turkmenistan, as an observer state of the organization.

Any political activity in Central Asia is perceived by official Moscow as a potential threat, if not an outright one, and this context should be considered when analyzing the political incident that occurred at the Samarkand Summit of Turkic States. The leaders of post-communist Central Asian states are still not independent in making crucial foreign policy decisions; they are always compelled to align with the interests of their northern neighbor.

When Shavkat Mirziyoyev meets with high-ranking foreign guests, in a moment of inspiration and emotion, he may make promises that are impossible to fulfill. However, after the guests depart, Mirziyoyev makes decisions based on the demands of the Putin regime.

While Mirziyoyev’s vassal regime continues to lie to the world by denying that the TRNC was accepted as an observer state at the OTS summit in Samarkand, on November 16, at a press conference following the G20 summit in Indonesia, Turkish President Erdoğan declared that the issue of granting observer status to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the OTS is resolved.

“The decision we made at the Organization of Turkic States regarding Northern Cyprus is valid. We are not going to ask for anyone’s permission on this matter. This issue is settled and closed”, Erdoğan stated.