TRNC FM reacts to Kasoulides’ statements

Noting that the statements in question were unacceptable, the TRNC Foreign Ministry said “the only reason for the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean is the unilateral activities carried out by the Greek Cypriot Administration. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Republic of Türkiye are taking and will continue to take equivalent steps against these unilateral actions in order to protect their legitimate rights and interests.”

A written statement issued by the TRNC Foreign Ministry on Thursday stressed that that the statements of Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides against motherland Türkiye during the Serbian Foreign Minister’s visit to South Cyprus were unacceptable.

Reminding that the TRNC and Türkiye made constructive proposals to ensure peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, the statement underlined that the ink of the President’s latest proposals on this issue had not dried yet and that being constructive should not be perceived as a weakness.

Also commenting on the Maraş issue, the Foreign Ministry said “we would like to remind Kasoulides that the closed city of Maraş is TRNC territory and the authority to decide on this piece of land belongs to the TRNC.”

The statement also pointed out that there was no moral value for the Serbian Foreign Minister to deny the existence of the Turkish Cypriot people who only met with the Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister and to support the known views of the Greek Cypriot side on the Cyprus issue.

“We hope that the Serbian Foreign Minister knows that all the negotiation processes carried out within the framework of United Nations parameters had been repeatedly rejected by the Greek Cypriot side and that the negotiation processes on this ground are now over” the Foreign Ministry statement said.

“The acceptance of the TRNC’s proposal based on the sovereign equality of the two states on the island and their equal international status will pave the way for an agreement in line with the realities on the island. Only through this way, the two sides will be presented with a freely negotiated and mutually acceptable new ground and this will contribute not only to the two peoples of the island but also to the prosperity and stability of the Eastern Mediterranean region” the statement concluded.