Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: Encyclopedia II - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - Communications and Transport

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - Communications and Transport

Because of its status and especially due to the trade embargo imposed against it by the southern Republic of Cyprus, the northern TRNC is heavily dependent on Turkish military and economic support. It uses the New Turkish Lira and the euro as its currency. All TRNC exports and imports have to take place via Turkey, likewise for its communication links. International telephone calls are routed via a Turkish dialling code, +90 392, on the Internet TRNC is under the Turkish second-level domain .nc.tr, and mail must be addressed via Mersin 10, TURKEY as the Universal Postal Union refuses to recognise the TRNC as a separate entity.

Direct flights to Northern Cyprus are forbidden by the ROC government in the south. The airports of Geçitkale (Greek: Lefkoniko) and Ercan (Greek: Tymbou) are only recognized as legal ports of entry by Azerbaijan and Turkey, so all flights to Northern Cyprus must currently be routed via those countries (Note: Following a 2005 visit by three members of the U.S. Congress to Ercan, indications are that the airport satisfies US security standards for international flights. Ercan was in particular subject to extensive security checks some months prior to the June 2005 landing. In June 2005, President George W. Bush instructed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to make an investigation into the practicality of direct commercial airline flights from the United States to Ercan).

TRNC sea ports had been declared closed to all shipping by the Republic of Cyprus since the Turkish invasion in 1974. Turkey however ignores this declaration while TRNC-registered vessels have free access to Turkish sea ports (Note: In retaliation for the closure order, Turkey also refuses Cypriot-flagged ships to enter Turkish territorial waters, despite the signing of the EU Customs Union Protocol. In return, the European Union has demanded the lifting of the Turkish ban on Cypriot shipping and aviation and the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus as preconditions of Turkey's EU accession).

Anyone who has a TRNC immigration stamp may be refused entry by the Republic of Cyprus or Greece, although after the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU such restrictions have been eased following confidence-building measures betwenn Athens and Ankara and the partial opening of the UN controlled line by the North Cypriot authorities. The Republic of Cyprus also allows passage across the Green Line from the part of Nicosia that it controls (as well as a few other selected crossing points), since the TRNC does not require a visa or leave entry stamps for such visits.

• Ercan Airport (Lefkoşa/Main Airport)
• Geçitkale Airport (Gazimağusa)
• Ilker Karter Airport (Girne)
• Pınarbaşı Airport (Girne)
• Topel Airport (Güzelyurt)

• Port of Girne
• Port of Gazimağusa
• Port of Gemikonağı

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Communications and Transport", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki