Washington, Nov 15 (CNA) – The United States recognizes the Republic of Cyprus, said State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki, adding it also continues to support the negotiation process.
She made the statement when invited to comment on statements made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan that “there is no country named Cyprus”.
Asked if she had anything to say about Erdogan’s statement, Psaki said “Well, the United States recognizes the Republic of Cyprus. We also continue to support the negotiation process conducted under the auspices of the UN to reunify the island as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation”.
Beyond that, she added, “I would point you to Turkey on Prime Minister Erdogan’s comments”.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third.
Repeated rounds of talks, under UN auspices, have yielded no concrete result.
Ahead of a new round of UN-sponsored peace talks, aiming to reunite the country under a federal roof the Greek Cypriot side says a joint declaration outlining the basic principles for a Cyprus solution was imperative.