The four Turkic states which signed a joint declaration with the European Union ruling out the prospect of any of them recognising the north as an independent country are expected to “make up for it” in the near future, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday night.

Speaking to television channel TV100, he said Turkey had been taken by surprise by the decision of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and non-Turkic Tajikistan to sign such a declaration.

“This was really an approach that Turkey did not expect, and we were greatly disappointed,” he said, adding that he had raised the issue with parliament speakers and government officials from other Turkic states since.

“Of course, what happened is done. It is in the past. We told them that Turkey is not in a position to tell others how to establish relations with third countries, but the law of brotherhood we have makes us seriously uncomfortable about this issue, and that the necessary steps must be taken to compensate for this,” he said.

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Asked what can be done to compensate for it, he said more Turkish Cypriot representative offices could be opened in Turkic states and suggested that “the ambassador to one of the nearby countries responsible for looking after North Cyprus can be accredited there”.

“In addition, joint cultural programmes can be organised. The TRNC can organise North Cyprus cultural days in Kyrgyzstan, as it does in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan. Their head of state, Ersin Tatar, can come and meet with their authorities here,” he said.

He added, “in this way, some steps can be taken, albeit unofficially, to express that they know there is a Turkish political identity and existence in North Cyprus”.

He went on to say that after voicing his complaints on the matter with the Turkic states, there was an “extremely positive response”.

“Let me also say this: I think they will make up for this in the near future,” he said, adding that they had “understood the sensitivities of the issue” and that “God willing, we hope that then necessary measures will be taken”.

The joint declaration which precluded the Turkic states’ recognising of the north was signed in the Uzbek city of Samarkand earlier this month said all five countries “reaffirmed our strong commitment” to United Nations security council resolutions 541 and 550.

Resolution 541 said the security council “deplores the declaration of the Turkish Cypriot authorities of the purported secession of part of the Republic of Cyprus” while calling on UN member states not to recognise the north.

Resolution 550 said it “reiterates the call upon all states not to recognise the purported state of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’, set up by secessionist acts, and calls upon them not to facilitate or in any way assist the aforesaid secessionist entity”.