Brussels and Washington reacted to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to partially reopen a seaside resort town with no original Greek Cypriot residents and his proposed two-state solution on the island of Cyprus Responded strongly to the proposal.
His uncompromising speech in the divided north of Nicosia marked another step towards opening up the ghost town and former resort of Varosha, which violated UN resolutions and was criticized as “unacceptable” by the European Union.
“We don’t have another 50 years to waste,” Erdogan told the crowd during a parade celebrating the 47th anniversary of his country’s invasion and division of the Mediterranean islands.
He was referring to decades of failed efforts led by the United Nations to reunify the Greek and Turkish Cypriot-controlled sectors of Cyprus.
“If you do not accept the fact that two nations and two countries are equal, the negotiations will not make progress,” he said.
Josep Borrell, a senior EU diplomat, issued a statement calling on Erdogan to stop provocations and resume dialogue on the Cyprus issue on the basis of a “political equal bi-regional and bi-ethnic federation.”
US Foreign Secretary Anthony Brinken reiterated the same proposal.
Erdogan also expressed support for the Turkish Cypriot plan to reopen part of Varosha, effectively handing over control from the Turkish army and changing the status quo, ignoring UN resolutions.
Erdogan said: “The door to a new era that will benefit everyone will open in Varosha.”
Turkish Cypriot leader Ercintatar has close ties with Erdogan and supports a two-state solution rather than a federation that has been sought in UN-led negotiations for a long time. He stated that the initial 3.5% of Varosha will be “cancelled Its military status”.
Erdogan said this shows “how sensitive the Turkish Cypriot authorities are in dealing with this issue.” But Borel quickly criticized any such move, calling it an “unacceptable unilateral decision.”
EU resistance
Amid the cheers of supporters waving the Turkish flag, Erdogan accused the Greek Cypriots of “blocking any path to a solution” in an “extremist way”. […] This is out of touch with reality. “
He dismissed the warning issued this month by European Commission President Ursula von der Lein that Brussels “will never accept” the two-State solution of Cyprus, which has become a member of the European Union since 2004.
Unlike the celebrations in the north, to commemorate the anniversary of the invasion on July 20, 1974, at 5:30 in the morning (0230 GMT), a sad alarm sounded in southern Nicosia.
The Turkish army occupied a third of northern Cyprus in response to the failure of Nicosia’s coup attempt to link the country with Greece.
The island is now divided into the Republic of Cyprus administered by Greek Cypriots and the Republic of Turkey, which claims to be Northern Cyprus, only recognized by Ankara.
“Life in Varosha will start again,” Erdogan said on the second day of his visit to the north, and he reiterated his proposal to provide financial compensation to the Greek Cypriots who lost their property in 1974.
‘Unprecedented provocation’
Varosha was once a playground for Hollywood celebrities. For decades, it has been an abandoned ghost town surrounded by Turkish soldiers and used as a bargaining chip in negotiations.
But the Turkish army last year restored public access to parts of its waterfront a few weeks before the Tatar elections.
The UN Security Council responded to its call for the cancellation of the decision and “required all parties to avoid any unilateral actions that may increase tension on the island.”
Erdogan visited Varosha in the following month, which was condemned by the Republic of Cyprus as an “unprecedented provocation.”
Since then, a main road, Demokratias Avenue, has been cleared, and workers scrambled to repair the street for a second visit.
Erdogan insisted that the revitalization of the town will respect property rights.
“We don’t care about anyone’s land, rights or property, but no one can touch Turkey or TRNC’s rights,” he said.
The internationally recognized government of Nicosia emphasized that Varosha is a “red line” and strongly condemned Erdogan’s previous visit to northern Cyprus.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias (Nikos Dendias) will travel to Cyprus after his trip in Erdogan on Wednesday.
[Edited by Josie Le Blond]
