In Cyprus, Erdogan is pushing for a two-state solution
The Turkish president visited northern Cyprus on Tuesday. He pleaded for a two-state solution and announced the reopening of the haunted city of Varosha.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Nicosia on July 20, 2021.
AFP
When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited northern Cyprus on Tuesday, he reaffirmed his commitment to a two-state solution and announced the reopening of the ghost town of Warsaw, which marks the division of the Mediterranean island.
Since the Turkish military invasion of Greece in 1974 in response to a conspiracy by Greco-Cypriot nationalists seeking to reunite with Greece, the island has been divided between the Republic of Cyprus – a member of the European Union – which exercises its power in the south, and the Turkish Northern Cyprus Republic (DRNC) declared itself an Anglican in 1983 .
“No progress can be made in the negotiations without acknowledging that there are two peoples and two states (…) We do not have fifty years to lose the models that have been proven invalid,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared in reference to the reunification of the island in the form of a federal state. Negotiations have stalled since 2017. In April, the UN oversaw a buffer zone between the two parts of the island. Attempts to restart organized talks ended in failure.
“A new negotiation process can only be resumed between the two states (…) For this, sovereignty and equal status (between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, author’s note) must be ensured,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed during a speech in the North Ahead, part of Nicosia, the last divided capital of the world.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who visited the island to mark the 47th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, accused the Greek Cypriots of “blocking the way to any solution” and accused him of being “dishonest”. He emphasized the EU’s “lies” and warned that it would “never accept a two state solution.” Turkish planes find the crescent and star of the Turkish flag and the Turkish-Cypriot flag in the sky, witnessing a parade of Turkish troops stationed north of President Erdogan’s island.
“Expansion of Varosha”
On his side, Erzin Tatar, the “president” of northern Cyprus, announced the start of the second phase of our (plan) to expand Varosha “to put an end to mourning.” Shortly before the election of nationalist Erzin Tatar in October 2020, DRNC’s “Prime Minister” , Announced the reopening of the seaport of this former high-end seaside resort that had been evacuated by its people from Ankara in 1974, surrounded by the Turkish military.
The move discredited the Greek Cypriots, but many Turkish Cypriots saw it as direct interference in the election in favor of Erzin Tatar, the defender of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The UN Security Council has warned against “unilateral action to escalate tensions on the island.”
“Life will resume” in Warsaw, the Turkish president reaffirmed on Tuesday, calling on Cypriot-Greek owners to once again seek compensation for the loss of their assets through the Cypriot-Turkish Commission. Ersin Tatar told him that 3.5% of the barricaded area would be reopened by the Turkish military and would thus come under the control of the Turkish Cypriots, who depended economically on Turkey.
The United States has condemned President Erdogan’s announcement of the reopening of Warsaw, in a statement issued by its Foreign Minister Anthony Blingen, calling the move “provocative and unacceptable.” In Brussels, EU diplomat Joseph Borel said he was “concerned” by the announcements of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Erzin Tatar “about the fenced area of Warsaw” and condemned the “unacceptable unilateral decision.
During a call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Cypriot envoy Nikos Christodolites, the latter expressed his “concerns” about Varosha’s situation. Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s “compliance with UN resolutions” and underscored the need to prevent any further action that could destabilize the island.
Greek Foreign Minister Nicos Dentias will travel to Cyprus on Wednesday to meet with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Nicos Cristodolites and the Greek-Cypriot mayor of Famagusta (deportees) in a bid to seize Greek diplomacy. Reports.
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