After arriving in the occupied areas to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a speech saying that a federal solution is not possible for Cyprus.
“Ignoring the reality on the island of Cyprus leads nowhere,” Erdogan said, adding, “We believe that a federal solution in Cyprus is not possible.”
“Northern Cyprus is the apple of our eye, it is a piece of our soul,” he said, and added that “We must keep in mind why the “peace operation” was carried out in Cyprus and why Turkey made such a decision”.
In his speech, Erdogan claimed that “in the southern part, there is a spoiled logic, and they consider themselves the masters of the island. We are faced with a situation where the Greek Cypriot leader participates in the memorial services of EOKA terrorists, and our Turkish Cypriot brothers are attacked when they travel to the South, imprisoned, and their mosques burned.”
According to ERT, the Turkish president referred to recent statements by the Greek Minister of Defence, Nikos Dendias, during his recent visit to Cyprus. “Unfortunately, the other day, the Greek Defense Minister made statements that are beyond comprehension. I met with Mr. Mitsotakis abroad, and I told him, ‘We will be in Northern Cyprus on July 20, and I heard that you will be in the South. I hope you won’t bother us as Dendias did,’ and he told us he wasn’t thinking of anything like that. And we said that since he wasn’t thinking of anything like that, then there is no issue, and we continue,” Erdogan claimed.
“We are ready for consultations and negotiations to bring about a solution for lasting peace in Cyprus,” Erdogan added. “We never leave unanswered any hand extended towards peace. We have always shown our good will throughout history.”
“We say, ‘If you want a solution, recognise the sovereign rights of the Turkish Cypriots.’ And I wish that we will see the days when the leaders of the guarantor countries will visit the two states on the island,” Erdogan said, noting that this was something he had also expressed to Kyriakos Mitsotakis during their meeting at the NATO Summit in Washington.
“Strengthening the dialogue between Turkey and Greece will contribute to resolving the Cyprus issue,” Erdogan declared.
Watch a video of Turkey’s celebration:
20 Temmuz Barış ve Özgürlük Bayramı Töreni https://t.co/2dw1niOdAC
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) July 20, 2024
