No OIC recognition for Turkish Republic of N. Cyprus yet

"As the Turkish Repulic of Northern Cyprus, we have been asking the OIC for upgrading our status here as an observer to a full member," said Tahsin Ertugruloglu, minister of foreign affairs and defence.

"That has been an ongoing request on our side and no one has claimed that such a decision would be taken at the Kuala Lumpur summit," he told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting in the Malaysian capital.

Cyprus has been split on ethnic lines since Turkey invaded the north of the island in 1974 after a brief Greek Cypriot coup backed by the military junta then ruling Greece. Only Turkey recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus, led by president Rauf Denktas.

Ankara keeps 30,000 troops in the enclave but is under heavy U.S. and EU pressure to force Denktash to resume reunification talks with the Greek Cypriots.