There is no longer any obstacle hindering the formation of a stronger Cyprus, Türkiye’s Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said Wednesday as he hosted his Turkish Cypriot counterpart in the capital Ankara for talks on the Cyprus issue, as well as global challenges.
Emphasizing the importance of the Cyprus matter as a national concern, Kurtulmuş said the difficult times related to Cyprus were now in the past.
"The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is now at the beginning of a period where it can establish its existence as a state in the international arena," he said.
Turning to global issues, Kurtulmuş said the lack of a "new, fair and just world system" was a critical challenge.
"There is a world politics that can hardly solve any problems, can't approach any issue with a fair and lasting peace perspective, and is ineffective. We see that this world system supports only those who possess power.
"This system cannot continue in this way. We know how this system has worked against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot people in Cyprus for years," he added.
Drawing attention to Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, Kurtulmuş pointed out the failure of the global system to provide effective solutions and called for a new, fair and just global political order.
"Today, in a similar manner, we witness a significant massacre, a large-scale genocide unfolding in Gaza before the eyes of all humanity. Unfortunately, the global system appears unable to produce even the slightest solution to this situation," he said.
For his part, reflecting on historical events, TRNC Parliament Speaker Zorlu Töre recalled the significance of the Peace Operation carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) on July 20, 1974, to stop Greek oppression and persecution of the Turkish Cypriot people.
"The United Nations Peacekeeping Force has never been able to establish peace on the island and could not remain impartial," Töre argued.
He also criticized the inefficacy of international organizations such as the U.N. and the European Union.
"Therefore, as the Turkish nation, we need to be strong, and our national unity and solidarity should further strengthen. As the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, we stand with the support of the homeland and move on."
Also, Fuat Oktay, the head of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Türkiye’s Parliament, discussed Türkiye's support for a two-state solution to the Cyprus issue during talks with a delegation led by Emrah Yeşilırmak, chairperson of the Administrative, Public and Health Affairs Committee of the TRNC Parliament.
Oktay recalled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call for the recognition of the TRNC's independence at the United Nations General Assembly.
He underscored ongoing efforts for the international recognition of the TRNC and emphasized Türkiye's unwavering support for the Turkish Cypriot people.
"The recognition of Cyprus and lifting of all kinds of restrictions or embargoes on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are constantly on our agenda at every opportunity and in every setting," he said.
Yeşilırmak acknowledged Türkiye's substantial support in various fields and noted that their visit aimed to benefit from the Turkish Parliament’s experiences for legal regulations addressing deficiencies.
The island of Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Türkiye, as a guarantor power, prompted by a coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island, launched a military intervention dubbed the Cyprus Peace Operation to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence.
As a result, the TRNC was founded on Nov. 15, 1983.
The division has been a source of tensions since then, including over who holds sway on the island’s offshore exclusive economic zone, over 40% of which was claimed by Türkiye following recent natural gas discoveries.
Türkiye doesn’t recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as a state.
The island has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the U.K.
The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the European Union in 2004, the same year they thwarted a U.N. plan to end the longstanding dispute, but only the Greek Cypriot south enjoys its full benefits.
Efforts to reunify the island have been at a standstill since the last round of U.N.-backed talks collapsed in 2017.
Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, elected last year, has been pushing to restart talks with Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar, including a proposal to get the European Union more invested in the U.N.-facilitated negotiations and appointing a senior official to help guide the process.
Turkish Cyprus strongly opposes the idea because of the EU’s “pro-Greek attitude” regarding the crisis and how it has “blocked an acceptable agreement and perpetuated the status quo.”
