Akar insists on hard-line two-state position

Although stating that Ankara wants cooperation with Greece, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar struck a defiant tone on the Cyprus issue Wednesday, vowing “we will not allow our rights to be violated, as well as those of the Turkish Cypriots.”

Speaking to Turkish troops returning from Afghanistan, Akar appeared uncompromising regarding Turkey’s push for a two-state solution for Cyprus and stressed that he is indifferent to the views and positions of the other guarantor powers, which are Greece and Great Britain.

“Everyone must understand our position for two equal sovereign states in Cyprus and we expect everyone to contribute for this to happen,” he stressed. “As you know, Turkey in Cyprus is a guarantor country. The other guarantor countries will determine what they do,” he said.

As a guarantor country, he said, Turkey knows it duties, “our responsibilities and we will continue to exercise our rights.”