The Ministry voiced its full support for the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in response to the UN Security Council's press statement.

The Ministry criticized the Security Council's insistence on a settlement model that the Turkish Cypriot side openly withdrew its support from and has been unsuccessful in previous attempts. It argued that the Security Council's stance fails to acknowledge the ground realities and no longer reflects the sovereign will of the Turkish Cypriot people.

Highlighting that the Security Council's position is fueling the Greek Cypriot side's unyielding attitude, which disregards the rights of the Turkish Cypriots as the original co-owners of the island, the Ministry urged the Security Council to align its stance with the basis provided by the UN Secretary-General's reports.

Reiterating its stance, the Ministry emphasized that a just, lasting, and sustainable settlement in Cyprus must be based on the will of both peoples on the island and cannot be imposed by external parties. It called upon the UN Security Council and the international community to recognize the existence of two separate peoples and two separate states in Cyprus, affirming the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, including their sovereign equality and equal international status.

The Ministry underlined that such recognition is an essential precondition for initiating any new negotiation process aimed at resolving the Cyprus issue. It urged the UN Security Council and the international community to take these factors into account in order to pave the way for a meaningful and inclusive dialogue.

Türkiye's Foreign Ministry's statement reflects its continued commitment to protecting the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people and emphasizes the need for a fair and balanced approach in addressing the long-standing Cyprus issue. (ILKHA)