The appointment of the new Turkish ambassador in the north Yasin Ekrem Serim was made official by the Turkish government on Saturday evening, with the appointment appearing in the country’s government gazette.

Reacting to his appointment on Facebook, Serim said, “I would like to express my gratitude to our President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan] who deemed us worthy of this honourable duty.”

“All our effort … is to continue working with determination to ensure that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus reaches a better future in every field, as it deserves. May God not embarrass our nation and our Turkish Cypriot brothers in this sacred duty we have undertaken,” he added.

The Turkish foreign ministry had said Serim’s predecessor Metin Feyzioglu would become the country’s ambassador in the Czech Republic, though this move has not yet been published in the government gazette. As such, former European Union Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis remains in post, for now at least.

Serim has already caused controversy in the north prior to his arrival, having taken out a court order in Istanbul to demand that three Cypriot news outlets, namely news websites Bugun Kibris and Gazedda, and daily newspaper Ozgur Gazete, all delete articles about him.

The articles in question claimed that Serim was a business partner of late Turkish Cypriot businessman Halil Falyali, who, in related articles, was accused of “drug dealing, illegal betting, millions of dollars in money laundering, and blackmail”.

The decision to change ambassadors in the north was made last month in a surprise announcement by the Turkish foreign ministry.

The move came amid twin controversies involving Feyzioglu and the embassy, both in Turkey and in Cyprus.

Two candidates for the north’s largest party the UBP’s leadership were reportedly summoned to the embassy’s residence in Ayios Epiktitos and told to withdraw their candidacies.

At the same time, Feyzioglu has been accused of not having followed correct protocol in relation to the visit of Turkish opposition party CHP leader Ozgur Ozel to the island for the 50th anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of the island on July 20.

Opposition Turkish politicians who travel overseas are typically greeted by their country’s ambassador during their visit, but Feyzioglu did not meet Ozel while the latter was in Cyprus.

Ozel had said he would inform the Turkish foreign ministry of his and his party’s “discomfort” over not having been met by Feyzioglu.

Serim is 37 years old and began his career in various government roles in 2010. He has worked inside the Turkish foreign ministry since 2016.

He obtained his bachelor’s degree in the north, studying public administration at the Girne American University in Kyrenia, before going on to obtain a master’s degree in international business management from the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom.