The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the joint statement issued after the Southern European Union Countries Summit, held in the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC) on October 11, 2024, calling it biased and unacceptable. The Ministry strongly rejected the portions of the statement concerning the Cyprus issue and Turkey, which it claims were crafted by the Greek Cypriot administration and Greece and accepted without question by the other EU member states under the guise of solidarity.

In a written statement, the Ministry expressed concern over the inaccuracies in the joint text, noting that the Cyprus issue is mischaracterized as a problem of "invasion" and occupation. The Ministry further criticized the claim that the Cyprus issue is a European problem and the implication that Turkey’s relations with the European Union depend on Turkey supporting the initiation of negotiations in Cyprus. The Ministry also rejected the call to avoid unilateral actions aimed at altering the military status of the buffer zone in Cyprus.

Criticism of EU’s Position on Cyprus

The Ministry emphasized that the European Union has continued to unconditionally support the Greek Cypriot side, ignoring the history of the Cyprus issue and the forced transformation of the "Republic of Cyprus" into a purely Greek Cypriot administration in 1963. It pointed out that the 1974 "Happy Peace Operation" was a response to prevent further bloodshed, not the beginning of the conflict.

The Ministry also highlighted that no United Nations decision classifies Turkey’s intervention in Cyprus as an occupation, yet the EU member states have allowed themselves to be influenced by the Greek Cypriot narrative. It stressed that the Cyprus issue is not and has never been a European problem, and blamed the EU's historic mistake in 2004 of unilaterally accepting the Greek Cypriot administration as a member for obstructing progress toward a solution.

Greek Cypriot Attitude Hindering Negotiations

The statement continued by asserting that the Greek Cypriot side, backed by the EU, has no incentive to reach a fair agreement because of its unjust recognition as the sole legitimate government of the island. It accused the Greek Cypriot side of deliberately dragging out open-ended negotiations for 60 years, while benefiting from international recognition, leaving the Turkish Cypriots in isolation.

Call for Recognition of Sovereign Equality

The Ministry underlined that in 2021, both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side halted the "game" being played by the Greek Cypriot side. It reiterated that no new negotiation process can begin without recognizing the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, including sovereign equality and equal international status.

In closing, the Ministry called on all countries, particularly the European Union, to acknowledge the realities on the island and to respect the legitimate and just demands of the Turkish Cypriot people.