MFA slams EP’s report on Türkiye

A statement issued by the foreign ministry said that the call made by the European Parliament revealed just how disconnected the assessment made by the report was from the realities on the island.

In a written statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) expressed its strong reaction to the European Parliament’s latest report on Türkiyw.

“The EU, instead of attacking Türkiye, should advise and encourage the Greek Cypriot administration, which is the source of the problem, to accept the Turkish Cypriot side’s proposal for a two-state solution on the island based on sovereign equality and equal international status,” the statement read.

The ministry said that it was disappointed to see that the European Parliament’s 2021 report on Türkiye, as in previous reports, reflected an understanding which ignored the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people.

It added that the reference in the report once again to a bizonal, bicommunal federal settlement showed just how disconnected the European Union (EU) was from the realities on the island.

The statement said that the aim of the Greek Cypriot administration was to damage the reputation of both Türkiye and the TRNC in the eye of the EU through baseless claims.

“We are hoping that the European Parliament and EU institutions stop being allowed to be exploited by the Greek Cypriot side and Greece’s ill-intended policies…We would like to stress once again that the TRNC’s new policy in favour of a two-state solution is fully supported by Türkiye,” it added.

The foreign ministry also said that the EU and its institutions which allow the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and provide Greek Cypriots with a comfort zone do not have any moral validity.

“It must not be forgotten that the Greek Cypriot side used its EU membership to push talks for a federal settlement to failure. The talks collapsed and a new page has been opened on the Cyprus Issue,” the statement said.

It added that the EU has no say in matters concerning Türkiye and the TRNC, particularly in reference to the financial, political and economic assistance provided by Ankara.

The statement said that the baseless claims made in the report on the fenced-off town of Maraş also show how the Greek Cypriot administration is trying to mislead the international community.

“We would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone Maraş is part of the TRNC’s territory and that all authority on the fenced-off town belongs to the TRNC government,” the statement concluded.