ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s president on Thursday defended “the coexistence of two states” on Cyprus, as he hosted the new leader of the island’s Ankara-backed self-proclaimed republic who had backed reunification.
In October, the breakaway territory of northern Cyprus — recognized by only Turkiye — voted overwhelmingly for former prime minister Tufan Erhurman as the next president, instead of outgoing leader Ersin Tatar, who had been Ankara’s pick.
Erhurman, who advocates reunification of the Mediterranean island that has been split since 1974, had campaigned for the resumption of negotiations with the Greek Cypriots.
But after hosting Erhurman on his first official visit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said: “We believe that the most realistic solution to the Cyprus issue lies in the coexistence of two states on the island.”
“We continue to hold the view that a solution in which the two peoples on the island can live side by side in peace, prosperity, and security is possible, and we will continue our sincere efforts in this direction,” Erdogan told a press conference in Ankara.
For his part, Erhurman said Turkish Cypriot people were one of the two equal founding partners of Cyprus.
“This status of my people is not open to discussion, negotiation, or compromise,” he said.
But he added if there is a negotiation table, “we will be there.”
“And if such a table has not yet been set, we will be at the table of dialogue that seeks to produce cooperation and solutions aimed at facilitating the daily lives of the two peoples on the island, building mutual trust, and contributing-within the framework of the win-win principle-to a future settlement,” he said.
The last major round of peace talks to negotiate a settlement to the island’s divided status collapsed in Switzerland in 2017.
The leaders of both sides met in July at the UN headquarters in New York for talks that were hailed as “constructive” by UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Erdogan says Cyprus should remain divided
https://arab.news/n4xua
Erdogan says Cyprus should remain divided
- Erdogan said: “We believe that the most realistic solution to the Cyprus issue lies in the coexistence of two states on the island“
- For his part, Erhurman said Turkish Cypriot people were one of the two equal founding partners of Cyprus
Lebanon foreign minister declines Tehran visit, proposes talks in neutral country
- Lebanon’s foreign minister Youssef Raji cited ‘current conditions’ for the decision not to go to Iran
Lebanon’s foreign minister Youssef Raji said on Wednesday he had declined an invitation to visit Tehran for now, proposing instead talks with Iran in a mutually agreed neutral third country, Lebanese state news agency NNA reported.
Raji cited “current conditions” for the decision not to go to Iran, without elaborating, and stressed that the move did not mean rejection of dialogue with Iran. He did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for additional comment.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had extended the invitation last week, seeking talks on bilateral ties.
Raji said Lebanon stood ready to open a new phase of constructive relations with Iran, on the condition that ties be based strictly on mutual respect, full recognition of each country’s independence and sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs under any pretext.
In an apparent reference to calls to disarm Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed movement allied for decades to Iran, Raji added that no strong state could be built unless the government held the exclusive right to hold weapons.
Hezbollah, once a dominant political force with wide influence over the Lebanese state, was severely weakened by Israeli strikes last year that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire. It has been under mounting domestic and international pressure to surrender its weapons and place all arms under state control.
In August, Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani visited Beirut, warning Lebanon not to “confuse its enemies with its friends.” In June, Foreign Minister Araqchi said Tehran sought a
“new page” in ties.
