Greece Erdogan continues to back two-state solution for Cyprus
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists on a two-state solution for the de facto divided EU island republic of Cyprus.
21.07.2025, 00:59
SDA
His country fully supports efforts to achieve this, the Turkish news agency Anadolu quoted Erdogan as saying during a visit to Lefkosa in northern Cyprus to mark the 51st anniversary of the Turkish invasion in 1974. "We are firmly convinced that this will happen sooner or later." It is high time that the international community came to terms with the realities on the ground.
Cyprus has been de facto divided in two since 1974 following a Greek coup and Turkish military intervention. In the north, there is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognized by Turkey. The internationally recognized government of the EU island republic in Nicosia controls the south. The fronts have hardened in recent years: While the Greek Cypriots and the UN are calling for reunification, Turkey and the leadership of the Turkish Cypriots are backing a two-state solution.
Erdogan also called for an end to the isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. There must be closer diplomatic, political and economic relations. The "decades of injustice" towards the Turkish Cypriots must come to an end, he said.
The whole of Cyprus has been a member of the EU since 2004. However, due to the de facto division, EU law only applies in the south. UN blue helmets monitor the approximately 180-kilometer buffer zone between the two sides. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world.
