Foreign Ministry: Turkish Cypriot People’s Will Ignored During Mahmoud Abbas’s Visit to South Cyprus

The Foreign Ministry issued a press statement after it was announced that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would visit the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus and discuss the Cyprus issue during his meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides.

The statement said that the Turkish Cypriot people had long wholeheartedly supported the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and their legitimate struggle.

Emphasising this strong historical solidarity, the Foreign Ministry underlined its expectation that the legitimate rights and sensitivities of the TRNC would be taken into consideration.

Pointing to the reality that there are two separate peoples and two separate states on the island, the statement said the Turkish Cypriot people had received the visit with regret because it was taking place without regard for their will.

The Foreign Ministry reiterated that it remained open to dialogue and mutual understanding with the friendly Palestinian people and their leadership, expressing its expectation that contacts would develop along these lines.

The full press statement issued by the Foreign Ministry is as follows:

“We have carefully noted the announcement that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will visit the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus and that the Cyprus issue will also be discussed during his meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides as part of the visit.

“The Turkish Cypriot people have long wholeheartedly supported the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and their legitimate struggle. In line with this strong historical solidarity, we would like to emphasise our expectation that the legitimate rights and sensitivities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will be taken into account.

“In light of the reality that there are two separate peoples and two separate states on the island, this visit, carried out while disregarding the will of the Turkish Cypriot people, has been received with regret by the Turkish Cypriot people.

“We would like to state that we have always been open to dialogue and mutual understanding with the friendly Palestinian people and their leadership, and once again express our expectation that our contacts will develop along these lines.”