Northern Cyprus (in white) in international action (Photo: Chris Burke)
I've just written a piece for the Cyprus Observer, which is a weekly English-language newspaper based in the Turkish part of Northern Cyprus. The piece is about the attempts by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to play international football and join FIFA.
Turkey invaded the top half of Cyprus in 1974 and in 1983 the TRNC declared itself independent. This declaration has only ever been recognised by Turkey and when English football league side Luton Town recently visited the TRNC to play top club side Cetinkaya the game was called off after protests by the Cypriot FA in the Greek dominated south of the island.
Cetinkaya were the last team from the Turkish part of Cyprus to win the all-island league - in 1952/53 - before the Turkish Cypriots formed their own FA, the KTFF, in the 1960s.
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