Foreign Ministry: Turkey’s Presence on Cyprus Is Indispensable

The Ministry also argued that a lasting settlement would only be possible through confirmation of the TRNC’s sovereign equality and equal international status.

The Ministry criticized remarks made by Letymbiotis ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, in which he said Cyprus should become a “normal, modern, European state” free of “anachronistic guarantees and occupying armies.”

In a statement, the Ministry described the remarks as the latest example of what it called the “outdated mentality” faced by the Turkish Cypriot people.

The statement argued that what was “anachronistic and invalid” on the island was the so-called “Republic of Cyprus,” which, according to the Ministry, the Greek Cypriot side transformed through the use of force in 1963.

It said the bi-communal partnership state established in 1960 on the basis of equality and participation of the two communities came to an end in 1963, while the Greek Cypriot side had continued to claim to represent the entire island and the Turkish Cypriot people.

“TURKEY’S PRESENCE ON THE ISLAND IS INDISPENSABLE”

The Ministry said the 1974 Peace Operation brought an end to what it described as the “persecution” suffered by Turkish Cypriots between 1963 and 1974 and created an environment of peace and stability on the island.

It said attempts by Greek Cypriot representatives to “distort these historical realities and mislead international public opinion” whenever possible served only to increase tensions on the island.

The statement also pointed to the arms build-up and military cooperation pursued by the Greek Cypriot side in recent years, saying Turkey’s role as guarantor, which it described as the “principal guarantee” of the existence and security of Turkish Cypriots, could never be abandoned.

“Turkey’s presence on the island is indispensable for the Turkish Cypriot people. The Turkish Cypriot people will under no circumstances accept the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island,” the statement said.

“A LASTING SETTLEMENT IS POSSIBLE THROUGH COOPERATION BETWEEN TWO INDEPENDENT AND SOVEREIGN STATES”

The Ministry also reiterated its position to Greek Cypriot officials that a lasting settlement on the island would only be possible “on the basis of cooperation between two independent and sovereign states.”

It said this would require confirmation of the TRNC’s sovereign equality and equal international status as the entity representing the will of the Turkish Cypriot people.

The full statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads:

“The remarks made by Greek Cypriot government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, stating that Cyprus should become a ‘normal, modern, European state’ free of ‘anachronistic guarantees and occupying armies,’ constitute the latest example of the outdated mentality faced by the Turkish Cypriot people.

It is clear that what is truly anachronistic and invalid on the island is the so-called ‘Republic of Cyprus,’ which the Greek Cypriot side seized through force in 1963 and transformed into a Greek Cypriot state. The 1960 partnership state, established on the basis of equality and participation of the two communities, came to an end in 1963. However, for more than half a century, the Greek Cypriot side has continued to claim to be the so-called ‘Republic of Cyprus,’ despite the invalidity of its claim to represent the entire island and the Turkish Cypriot people.

The 1974 Peace Operation brought an end to the persecution suffered by the Turkish Cypriot people between 1963 and 1974 and made it possible to establish an environment in which violence ended and peace and stability prevailed on the island. The attempts by Greek Cypriot representatives on every occasion to distort these historical realities and mislead international public opinion serve no purpose other than increasing tensions on the island.

Given the rapid continuation of the Greek Cypriot side’s arms build-up and military cooperation in recent years, it should be understood even more clearly that the guarantorship of our Motherland Turkey, which is the principal guarantee of the existence and security of the Turkish Cypriot people, can never be abandoned. Turkey’s presence on the island is indispensable for the Turkish Cypriot people. The Turkish Cypriot people will under no circumstances accept the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island.

On this occasion, we once again remind Greek Cypriot officials that a lasting settlement on the island is possible only on the basis of cooperation between two independent and sovereign states and, consequently, through confirmation of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which represents the will of the Turkish Cypriot people.”