Turkish-Cypriot administration further hardens stance
Turkish Cypriots will not “fall for the tricks” of the Greek Cypriots again, the so-called prime minister of the Turkish-occupied north of the island has said, in a further hardening of the Turkish side’s stance towards peace talks.
Speaking to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency on Monday, Unal Ustel said that Turkish Cypriots “will not sit at the table again” to discuss the proposal for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.
Ustel also accused the European Parliament of bias following a report suggesting that the European Commission should cease accession negotiations if Turkey does not improve its human rights and rule of law record, saying that the EU is “trying to drag Turkey along different channels with unjust and unfounded accusations.”
Europe, he added, is “trying to portray the Turkish presence in Cyprus as a military invasion,” when, in fact, this presence “brings peace not just to the Turkish Cypriots, but also… to the Greeks living on the island.”
Ustel’s comments came just days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, urged the international community to recognize the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus, which is recognized only by Ankara.
It also came after the leader of the Turkish Cypriot administration, Ersin Tatar, expressed opposition to the appointment of a special UN representative, who would, he claimed, “implement Security Council decisions, make reports and impose a federal solution on us.”
