Mr. Osman Ertuğ served as the de facto ambassador

Ambassador

An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....

 of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Northern Cyprus or North Cyprus , officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus...

 (TRNC) to the United States of America from 2002 to 2007, when he was succeeded by Hilmi Akil. As the TRNC is not recognized as sovereign, his title was officially that of Representative of the Turkish Cypriot Community in Washington DC.

Mr. Ertuğ served as the Representative of the TRNC in New York (de facto Chief of Mission to the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

) before taking up his Washington DC posting. He is regarded by the TRNC Foreign Ministry as a very capable diplomat.

Mr. Ertuğ is one of the framers of the TRNC's Unilateral Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Eight years after the Turkish Federative State of North Cyprus was proclaimed , the UDI of North Cyprus was presented to the Northern Cypriot Parliament in North Nicosia by Turkish Cypriot Leader/Northern Cypriot State President Rauf Denktaş on November 15, 1983...

.