Cyprus slams Erdogan's push for two-state solution

The Republic of Cyprus slammed comments regarding a two-state solution to the Cyprus Problem made by the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday after meeting with the new Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, with government spokesman Kyriakos Koushios stressing on Tuesday that such prospects are in complete opposition to UN resolutions.

At a news conference in Ankara on Monday with the newly-elected leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Ersin Tatar, Erdogan said that it was time for a “realistic proposal” for a “two-state solution” on the divided island of Cyprus.

“No result can be achieved under the current parameters following a negotiation process that has lasted more than half a century,” Erdogan said, adding that “at this stage, we believe starting talks on the basis of a federation will be a waste of time. Therefore, we believe a two-state solution must now be brought to the table with a realistic proposal.”

Erdogan also expressed a desire to have a picnic on the beach of Varosha, the fenced-off southern quarter of the city of Famagusta in the north that was reopened earlier this month in a move that was widely criticized by the United States, Greece, Cyprus and the United Nations.

“I believe it would be beneficial to have a picnic there all together,” he said, announcing that he plans to visit the north of Cyprus on November 15.

“We are watching from our screens here, but we want to experience it in person. God willing, we will do that too.”

On Tuesday, the spokesperson for the government of the Republic of Cyprus, Kyriakos Koushios, said Erdogan’s reference to a picnic at Varosha only goes to show that Turkey continues to opt for provocative politics that go against every principle of law.

"Unfortunately, the statements of Turkish officials, and this time by the President of Turkey and the new Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, regarding the solution to the Cyprus problem, clearly show that their intentions are in complete contradiction with the UN decisions and Security Council resolutions, as well as the Joint Statement of 25 November 2019 issued at the tripartite conference in Berlin convened by the UN Secretary General,” Koushios said.

He stressed that the Greek Cypriot side “remains committed to resolving the Cyprus problem through talks on the basis of UN resolutions and Security Council resolutions, as well as the convergences reached so far and the European acquis, EU principles and values."

But Koushios noted that ongoing “Turkish provocations, which are manifested not only by the illegal interventions in our EEZ but also by the change of the status of the enclosed city of Famagusta, do not contribute to the creation of a positive atmosphere for the resumption of talks."