Binali Yıldırım, President of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), strongly condemned the isolation of Northern Cyprus on the second day of the Turkic World Dialogue Forum, describing it as contrary to both international law and basic humanitarian principles. "The TRNC is an inseparable and indispensable member of the Turkic world. Condemning Cyprus to isolation and depriving Turkish Cypriots of regional and global opportunities is incompatible with humanity and with international law," he said.
Yıldırım delivered his remarks during a panel titled "From the Middle Corridor to a Shared Production Ecosystem: An Economic Model for the Turkic World," attended by TRNC Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, members of the TRNC parliament, OTS Council of Elders members, and numerous diplomats.
Addressing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Yıldırım argued that certain countries were pursuing claims over the region's natural resources and maritime zones in disregard of international law. He stressed that Turkey would not allow its rights and interests in the area to be overlooked, and reaffirmed that Turkic states would continue to take responsibility for lifting the isolation on Turkish Cypriots.
On the forum's core topic of economic cooperation, Yıldırım described the Middle Corridor as a strategically vital link between Asia and Europe. Drawing parallels with the historic Silk Road, Spice Route and Fur Road, he argued the corridor should be viewed not merely as a transport route but as a backbone for deepening economic ties among Turkic states.
Yıldırım noted that despite its significant potential, the Middle Corridor carries far less freight than rival routes. According to figures he cited, the northern route handles around 180 million tonnes of cargo annually, while the Middle Corridor carries just 4.5 million tonnes and the southern route approximately 3 million tonnes. He underlined that making fuller use of the corridor's capacity could substantially boost regional trade.
