TRNC President Renews Call for Direct Flights from Moscow to Ercan

President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, has once again voiced his hope for the launch of direct flights between Ercan Airport and Russian cities. He made the remarks during his speech at the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Tatar emphasized the growing Russian community in Northern Cyprus, stating that the issue of direct flights remains a pressing concern. However, he claimed that efforts to establish such routes have been hindered by opposition from the Republic of Cyprus.

“This is important because many Russians live here — around 25,000 to 30,000,” Tatar said, as quoted by Yeniduzen. “We value them. Their children attend our schools, and they’ve become part of our society.”

He explained that Russian citizens currently have to travel via Istanbul or Antalya to reach Northern Cyprus, which makes the journey longer and more complicated. He expressed hope that this could soon change.

“There are direct flights from many Turkish cities to Ercan. So why not from Moscow as well?” he asked.

Tatar acknowledged that the Chicago Convention prohibits flights to airports in unrecognized states, but argued that if planes are already flying from Turkey to Ercan, there's no reason they couldn’t do so from Russia too.

Discussions about direct air links between Moscow and Ercan have been ongoing for years. In September 2023, reports indicated that two Russian airlines had submitted applications to operate such routes.