Erdogan: Turkish Cypriots should support two state solution

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has called on Turkish Cypriots to support a two-state solution, Turkish Cypriot media said on Monday.

His comments follow a growing spat over the ‘TRNC’s’ observer status at the Organisation of Turkic States.

His statements, carried in Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen, said the fact that ‘TRNC’ was given observer status was a significant step.

“We will take a number of steps in north Cyprus” including improving infrastructure and placing great importance on the construction of the new ‘parliament’ and ‘presidential’ palace buildings.

“These are all steps towards improving north Cyprus,” he said.

Statements by the EU over the Cyprus problem is not the concern of Turkey, Erdogan said. “How we see the Cyprus problem is what matters.”

The issue came to the fore last week, when Turkish and Turkish Cypriot politicians heralded the ‘TRNC’s’ observer status as an entity at the Organisation of Turkic States. Cyprus’ foreign ministry dismissed it as ‘meaningless’ while the EU Commission called it regrettable.

On Sunday, Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov said there had been no question of recognising the ‘TRNC’ as an independent state during the organisation’s summit which was held in Uzbekistan.

President Nicos Anastasiades had earlier said Erdogan does not determine international law and if he does not like it, that is his problem.