Turkey does not want to spend another 60 years on the Cyprus problem; it is necessary to recognize “the reality of the existence of two separate peoples and two separate states on the island,” Fahrettin Altun, head of the Communications Department of the Turkish Presidential Administration, said in an interview with the Greek newspaper Ta Nea.
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Cyprus has been de facto divided between Greek and Turkish communities since 1974 following an armed invasion by Turkey, provoked by a coup d’état in Cyprus and an attempt to annex the island to Greece.
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Thirty-seven percent of the island, where the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was proclaimed in 1983, was occupied. Only Türkiye recognized the TRNC. Negotiations between the Greek and Turkish communities on the reunification of Cyprus, which are being mediated by the UN, were interrupted after the failure of the next round, held in the Swiss city of Crans-Montana in 2017. Attempts are now being made to resume negotiations. Greek Cypriots believe that a solution to the Cyprus problem is possible only on the basis of UN decisions within the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation. Turkish Cypriots advocated a confederation of Cyprus. The leader of the Turkish community, Ersin Tatar, stated that he would not return to the negotiating table until the equal sovereignty and international status of the Turkish Cypriots was recognized.
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Speaking about the Cyprus problem, Altun recalled the failure of many years of negotiations under the auspices of the UN on a “bizonal, bicommunal federation.”
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“It is time to acknowledge the reality on the ground: the existence of two separate peoples and two separate states on the island of Cyprus. Neither the Turkish Cypriots nor Turkey are willing to waste another 60 years,” he said.
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Altun called for mutual respect regarding sensitive issues such as the Aegean Sea and the Turkish minority in Greece.
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“It would be helpful for the Greek public to understand that the Aegean Sea is not a Greek lake, and that Turkey, with its long coastline, shares this sea and has legitimate rights and vital interests in the region,” he said.
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At the same time, he emphasized the need for a peaceful resolution of existing differences in accordance with international law.
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Referring to the upcoming 6th meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council in Ankara next year, the head of the department expressed optimism regarding the further development of bilateral ties. He noted that consultations in this format cover a wide range of topics and involve interaction between the parties at a high level.
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Altun praised the success of the joint candidacies of Turkey and Greece for positions in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, calling this event evidence of the potential for cooperation between the two countries on international platforms.
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“Despite the presence of unresolved differences on some issues, the problems faced by both countries, as well as our interests in the region and beyond, largely coincide. Cooperation allows us to shift our attention from conflicts to common goals,” he concluded.
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Greece and Türkiye only reduced tensions in relations at the beginning of 2023. As NATO allies, they have been unable to resolve controversial issues for decades and have repeatedly found themselves on the brink of armed conflict due to territorial disputes. Issues include the demilitarization of the Greek islands, the situation of the Turkish minority, which Greece calls Muslim, and the ten-mile air zone around the Greek islands. Athens insists that only the demarcation of maritime zones can be the subject of negotiations.
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In the summer of 2020, Greece and Türkiye were three times on the brink of armed conflict, and a general mobilization of the Greek armed forces was carried out. The reason was that the Turkish research vessel Oruç Reis began seismic exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean region, which Greece considers its exclusive economic zone.
