Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said some Greek politicians are sabotaging Turkey’s peace initiatives.
“Certain politicians in Greece are unfortunately sabotaging and destroying our efforts and peace initiatives, sacrificing the rights and interests of the two countries to their own internal conflicts,” Akar said during a reception in capital Ankara, marking the 39th anniversary of the foundation of the Northern Cypriot administration.
“We will not allow any fait accompli violating Turkey’s and Turkish Cypriots’ rights” Akar said, state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Monday.
A political solution in Cyprus cannot be reached unless the independence and sovereignty of Turkish Cypriots were not accepted, Akar said.
The Turkish existence in the island should be respected, he said.
The Eastern Mediterranean island has been ethnically split since 1974, when Turkish military intervened in response to a Greek Cypriot coup d’etat, ordered by the military junta in Greece, aiming to unify the island with Greece (ENOSİS). Internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, governed by the Greek Cypriots, controls the south of the island, and the Turkish Cypriots, the north. The administration in the northern part of the Cyprus that declared the foundation of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Nov.15, 1983, is only recognized by Turkey.
Several diplomatic initiatives under the auspices of the United Nations have failed to reunite the island.
In April last year, Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, alongside delegations from Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom – the guarantor countries of the Cyprus Republic, established in 1960, held meetings in Switzerland to search common ground for the resumption of unification talks.
However, no deal was reached after Turkey and Turkish Cypriot side called for a two-state solution, despite UN resolutions supporting a peace agreement through the establishment of a bizonal, bicommunal federation.
In September, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged UN member states to accept that there are two states and two different nations in Cyprus.
Source: Gerçek News
