Government, districts and crossing points of North Cyprus

Constitution and state institutions

According to the TRNC Public Information Office (PIO), the TRNC is a secular republic whose constitution was adopted by public referendum on 5 May 1985, and the state is governed by legislative, executive and judicial branches with a separation of powers. The PIO links to the English text of the constitution published on the TRNC courts' website.

According to that text, the Assembly of the Republic is composed of 50 deputies (Article 77) and its elections are held every five years (Article 79), and the President of the Republic is elected for five years (Article 99). The PIO states that the President appoints the Prime Minister and, on the Prime Minister's proposal, the ministers, that the Prime Minister chairs the Council of Ministers, and that the number of ministries cannot exceed ten.

The PIO lists Tufan Erhürman as President, Ünal Üstel as Prime Minister and Ziya Öztürkler as Speaker of the Assembly. Cyprus Mail reported on 9 October 2026 that the legislature passed a bill setting legislative elections for 6 December 2026, the same day as local elections. Article 2 says the flag and national anthem are prescribed by law; they are described on Flag and symbols.

Presidents of the TRNC

The Presidency's website lists, under "Our Presidents", Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş, Second President Mehmet Ali Talat, Third President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu and Fourth President Mustafa Akıncı; the page reviewed gives no term years. The Presidency states that Tufan Erhürman won the vote held on 19 October and took office as the sixth president, and Türk Ajansı Kıbrıs reported on 22 October 2025 that he would take office that Friday.

The term years below come from Archontology.org, a secondary reference that compiles office holders, and are given as names and years only. Archontology.org dates Denktaş's presidency from 6 December 1983, the date the Constituent Assembly convened. Events before 1983 are covered on the About North Cyprus hub.

Districts and municipalities

According to the PIO, the TRNC has six districts, Lefkoşa, Gazimağusa, Girne, Güzelyurt, İskele and Lefke, and an area of 3,248 km². Towns, landforms and maps for each district are on Districts, towns and map.

Article 119 of the constitution text describes local authorities as public bodies for a district, municipality, village or quarter whose decision-making organs are elected, with elections every four years. BRT reported on 25 August 2022 that the Assembly passed the Municipalities Amendment Law reducing the number of municipalities from 28 to 18, and on 8 September 2022 that the (Special) Law on the Integration of Municipalities had been published in the Official Gazette.

Cyprus Mail reported on 9 October 2026 that local elections will be held on 6 December 2026. No official list of the 18 municipalities was opened for this page, so the count should be rechecked after that vote.

Recognition and UN Security Council resolutions

UN Security Council Resolution 541, adopted on 18 November 1983 by 13 votes to 1 with 1 abstention according to the UN Digital Library, deplored the declaration of 15 November 1983, considered it legally invalid, called for its withdrawal and called on all states not to recognise any Cypriot state other than the Republic of Cyprus. Resolution 550 of 11 May 1984 reaffirmed resolution 541, condemned the exchange of ambassadors between Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership, repeated the call on states not to recognise the TRNC and called for Varosha to be transferred to UN administration.

The TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement shown on its site on 1 October 2026, describes two separate, independent and sovereign states on the island and calls for international acknowledgment of the TRNC's equal status.

The UN buffer zone (Green Line) and UNFICYP

According to UNFICYP, the buffer zone, also called the Green Line, extends about 180 km across the island; it is a few metres wide in parts of old Nicosia and a few kilometres wide elsewhere. Its northern and southern limits are the lines where the sides stood after the ceasefire of 16 August 1974, as recorded by UNFICYP. Varosha is covered on Famagusta and Varosha.

UN Peacekeeping states that UNFICYP was set up in 1964 to prevent further fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities and was given additional functions after 1974. UN meetings coverage reports that resolution 2815 (2026) renewed the mandate until 31 January 2027 with 13 votes in favour and 2 abstentions, Pakistan and Somalia.

The TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 31 January 2026 that the renewal was decided without the consent of the Turkish Cypriot side and called for a new approach based on two states. The TRNC ministry also states that the buffer zone is under UNFICYP control.

Crossing points between north and south

UNFICYP states that crossing points have opened since April 2003 and lists 9: Pergamos and Strovilia; Ayios Demetios/Metehan, Ledra Palace and Ledra Street in Nicosia; Astromeritis/Zodhia; Pyrgos Limnitis/Yeşilırmak; and Dherynia and Lefka/Aplıç, the last two opened together on 12 November 2018. Turkish names used by Turkish Cypriot sources (Beyarmudu, Akyar, Lokmacı, Derinya, Aplıç) are given in the cards.

Opening dates come from separate dated reports, attributed in each card. Kıbrıs Postası reported on 23 April 2026 that no crossing had opened since 2018, and Cyprus Mail reported on 21 October 2026 that a package of four new crossings agreed in 2025 had not been implemented, with the two sides disagreeing over the Louroujina crossing.

Crossing rules, accepted documents and checks depend on nationality and are set by the respective authorities; this page gives no travel advice. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus states that it regards Larnaca and Paphos airports and the ports of Larnaca, Limassol, Latsi and Paphos as the legal points of entry into the Republic of Cyprus, and that entry through other ports or airports in the north breaches its legislation.

Official language, currency and capital

According to the PIO general information page, the official language of the TRNC is Turkish and the currency is the Turkish lira (₺); Article 2 of the constitution text also names Turkish as the official language. The PIO gives the capital as Nicosia, and Article 2 names it Lefkoşa, the Turkish name for the city. UNFICYP notes that the buffer zone runs through old Nicosia.

The PIO also lists the establishment date of 15 November 1983, the international calling code +90 392 and the time zone UTC+2. These are TRNC-specific facts stated by TRNC sources. Seasonal and weather information is on Weather and seasons.