The Cyprus government has condemned statements made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his illegal visit on Monday to Cyprus` Turkish occupied territory, expressing its opposition to “every statement or act which refers to a solution that is outside the framework of the UN relevant resolutions, the High Level Agreements of 1977 and 1979 and the joint communique,” reached on February 11 between President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.
“In addition to the illegality of the visit by the Turkish President to Cyprus we condemn every statement or act which refers to a solution that is outside the framework of the UN relevant resolutions, the High Level Agreements of 1977 and 1979 and the joint communique. We also consider unacceptable the frequent call for the involvement of Greece in the dialogue in an effort to equate the responsibilities for the ongoing occupation in Cyprus for which Turkey is solely responsible,” Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides said in a written statement.
Christodoulides noted that “we were expecting that the President of Turkey, a candidate country for accession to the EU, would first invoke for involvement the EU of which the Republic of Cyprus is a full member and will also continue to be after the solution of the Cyprus problem.”
At the same time, he noted, that statements which are repeated, such as that Turkey will always be one step ahead, “remain until now, devoid of any content since in practice the policies that Ankara follows demonstrate just the opposite.”
“We wish to reiterate our determination to work conscientiously for the termination of the occupation and the achievement of a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem that will meet the expectations of the people of Cyprus,” Christodoulides concluded.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. The two communities on the island have been engaged in UN-led talks since last February, when Anastasiades and Eroglu agreed on their joint statement.