Any attempts aimed at disrupting the fragile balance in Cyprus and disregarding the rights of the Turkish Cypriots are entirely unacceptable, Turkish defense sources stated on June 25, responding to claims regarding a new United Nations initiative for the ethnically divided eastern Mediterranean island.
“Our country’s stance on the resolution to the Cyprus issue is clear, consistent and unchanged: Any initiative that ignores the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and aims to disrupt the existing delicate balance on the island is unacceptable for Türkiye,” Defense Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk told reporters at a weekly press briefing in Ankara.
He added that “a lasting, just and sustainable solution on the island is only possible on the basis of a two-state model grounded in the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people.”
The senior official also stressed that “no solution that disregards this reality can ensure lasting stability.”
The remarks came after reports that the U.N. Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, prepared a new initiative for the island.
The plan reportedly promotes a “flexible federal solution” and includes proposals for territorial concessions by the Turkish Cypriot side in exchange for global recognition.
Under the reported framework, Turkish Cypriot areas such as the closed-off town of Varosha and Morphou could be handed over to the Greek Cypriot administration.
In return, the Turkish Cypriot side would be integrated into the European Union process, while sanctions would be lifted and direct trade, direct contact and direct flights would be enabled.
The plan is also said to envisage the removal of the guarantor system on the island.
The Turkish sources emphasized that the security of Turkish Cyprus is inseparable from Türkiye’s own security.
The Cyprus dispute has remained unresolved for decades between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots despite multiple U.N.-led initiatives. The latest major round of peace talks collapsed in Switzerland in 2017.
