Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday reiterated his country’s firm support for a two-state solution in Cyprus, calling on the international community to acknowledge the island’s long-standing division.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, following a Turkish military intervention triggered by a coup in Nicosia backed by the then-military junta in Greece. In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was proclaimed, a breakaway state recognized solely by Turkey.
“We fully support a vision based on a two-state solution,” Erdogan stated during his visit to northern Cyprus, commemorating 51 years since the Turkish intervention.
“It is time for the international community to accept the realities on the ground,” he asserted, urging a shift in global policy toward recognizing the division.
Erdogan’s visit came just days after UN Secretary-General António Guterres described recent meetings between Cypriot leaders at the UN headquarters in New York as “constructive,” though significant concerns remained—particularly regarding the status of crossing points between the north and south.
During his speech, Erdogan also demanded an end to the international isolation of the TRNC.
“Diplomatic, political, and economic ties must be established with the TRNC. The decades-long injustice faced by Turkish Cypriots must finally be resolved,” he said.
The last significant attempt to reunify the island ended without agreement during talks held in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in July 2017.
