According to Russian news agency TASS, Russia will soon open a consular office in the northern part of the city of Nicosia, which is controlled by Northern Cyprus. The office will provide services to Russian citizens living in the north of the island, including visa issuance, passport renewal, and notarization.
The decision to open the office was made by the Russian government in response to concerns about the welfare of Russian citizens in Northern Cyprus. The Russian ambassador to Cyprus, Murat Zyazikov, said that before the office was opened, Russian citizens in the north of the island often had difficulty accessing consular services, and their rights were not properly protected.
The opening of the office does not mean that Russia recognizes the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Several other countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the United States, and France, have had their own consular missions in Northern Cyprus for several years.
The foreign minister of Northern Cyprus, Tahsin Erturuloglu, said that Russia has long wanted to open an office in Northern Cyprus, like the United States and the United Kingdom. He added that opening a consulate and recognizing a country are two separate things.
The president of Northern Cyprus, Ersin Tatar, said that there were no requests from Russia to open a consulate, but that the authorities of Northern Cyprus do not object to the opening of an office. He said that there are many Russians living in Northern Cyprus, and it is quite normal to open an office and conduct part of the work in it.
