2-state solution ‘most realistic’ for Cyprus dispute: Erdoğan
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday said the most realistic resolution to the Cyprus issue lies in the coexistence of two sovereign states on the island.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman in Ankara, Erdoğan said the Greek Cypriot side continues to seek a settlement that would “reduce Turkish Cypriots to a minority” in a partnership that “no longer has any validity.”
“We believe that the most realistic solution to the Cyprus issue is the coexistence of two states on the island,” Erdoğan said.
He praised Erhürman’s stance of insisting on the Turkish Cypriot people’s sovereign equality, describing it as “appropriate and principled.”
Erdoğan said the main reason the Cyprus question has remained unresolved for decades is the Greek Cypriot side’s refusal to recognize the Turkish Cypriots’ equal international status.
Turkish Cypriots’ equal status ‘not open to negotiation’
Erhürman said Türkiye remains “one of the most important actors” in all efforts toward a resolution of the Cyprus issue.
“The equal co-founding status of the Turkish Cypriot people is not open to discussion, negotiation, or bargaining,” he said.
