The north’s ‘foreign ministry’ on Friday called on the European Union to “stop acting as the Greek Cypriot side’s spokesman”.
The ‘ministry’ was responding to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell’s condemnation of “efforts to legitimise” the north on the part of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) at its summit in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek earlier in the week.
“Such baseless statements can never eliminate the fact that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which was founded within the framework of its inherent rights, such as sovereign equality and equal international status, and exercising its right to self-determination, is one of the two states on the island,” it said.
It then described Borrell’s statement as “unfortunate” and as a “confirmation … that [the EU] cannot be impartial on the Cyprus problem”.
“The EU must immediately put an end to its policy of imposing a price on, pressuring, and restricting the rights of the Turkish Cypriot side and its people in all areas,” it said, adding that Turkish Cypriots have “used their free will in favour of a two-state solution” to the Cyprus problem.
It added that the EU’s “attitude” regarding the Cyprus problem Is “biased and wrong”, adding that the bloc “made the Cyprus problem inextricable by unilaterally accepting the Greek Cypriot side as a member before it was resolved, directly contradicting its own values and principles”.
With this in mind, it said, “it is a great impudence … to try to put pressure on OTS members by referring to the United Nations charter.”
“We reiterate our call on the EU, which continues to ignore the fact that the Turkish Cypriot people have at least the same right to have a say as the Greek Cypriot side on the future of the island, to put an end to this attitude which serves no purpose other than to pamper the Greek Cypriot side,” it said.
“Such initiatives, contrary to the results for which they are aiming, show how justified our fight is and strengthen our determination to defend our just cause at every turn.”
Borrell had on Thursday said the EU “rejects the repeated attempts by the OTS to legitimise the Turkish Cypriot secessionist entity … through granting OTS observer status, including at its summit taking place in Bishkek.”
“The EU reiterates that it only recognises the Republic of Cyprus as a subject of international law, in accordance with the respective UN Security Council resolutions.”
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan both gave addresses at Wednesday’s meeting in Bishkek, with Erdogan saying, “the Turkic world is responsible for a fair solution in Cyprus.”
