On 6 December 2016, the Secretary-General received from the Government of Portugal the following communication relating to the declaration made by the Republic of Turkey upon ratification:
"The Government of the Portuguese Republic has examined the declaration made by the Republic of Turkey upon ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted on 13 December 2006.
It welcomes the ratification of the Optional Protocol by the Republic of Turkey since this is a significant step for the promotion of human rights, particularly the rights of those persons with disabilities.
Nevertheless, the Portuguese Republic, as a European Union Member State, opposes the declaration made by the Republic of Turkey since it describes another Member State, the Republic of Cyprus, as a defunct entity."