EU's 'disregard for realities' on Cyprus obstacle to solution: Turkish parliament speaker

By Ali Kemal Akan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus on Saturday criticized European Parliament (EP) President Roberta Metsola's speech at the General Assembly prior to her re-election, saying the EU's "disregard for realities" on the island of Cyprus "constitute an obstacle to the formation of a new ground for the solution of the problems."

This comes in a letter Kurtulmus sent to Roberta Metsola congratulating her on her re-election as the EP president and wishing her success.

Noting his regret that Metsola, in her speech to the General Assembly, did not refer to Türkiye's status as a candidate country, Kurtulmus said: "I also regret your statements in the context of the Cyprus issue.

"For the settlement of the Cyprus issue, it is important that all parties direct their efforts in the right direction and sincerely contribute to a solution."

"The EU's unilateral approach to the Cyprus issue under the name of membership solidarity and its disregard for the realities of the island's situation are also an obstacle to the formation of a new ground for the solution of the problems," he highlighted.

Wishing that the Türkiye-EU relations will be further strengthened, Kurtulmus said he believes that the EP can play a constructive role in overcoming prejudices and building mutual trust with an objective and rational attitude in the new legislative period.

"In the coming period, we expect all EU institutions, including the EP, to conduct their relations with Türkiye with a fair and result-oriented approach within the framework of ... the principle of pacta sunt servanda and to avoid policies and discourses that put our relations at an impasse," Kurtulmus stated.

The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983. July 20, the anniversary of the operation, is celebrated yearly in the TRNC as Peace and Freedom Day.

The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the EU in 2004, and the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.

Türkiye fully supports a two-state solution on the island of Cyprus based on sovereign equality and equal international status.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul