Presidency: Ignoring Turkish Cypriots’ Equal Rights and Interests Is Unacceptable

In a written statement, the Presidency recalled that the European Commission’s country report on Turkey, released on November 4, 2025, also included assessments regarding Cyprus. “It is clear that the approach reflected in the report is not in line with the new period in which the UN Secretary-General is expected to intensify efforts for a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus,” the statement said.

“The overall attitude displayed in the report towards Cyprus demonstrates that the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people, as well as the fact that they are one of the two equal founding partners of the island, have been ignored,” the statement continued. “Indeed, even regarding the fundamental principle that all peacekeeping operations around the world require the consent of all parties concerned, a critical tone was adopted. The root cause of such shortcomings lies in the European Union’s longstanding avoidance of dialogue with the Turkish Cypriot side on Cyprus-related matters.”

The statement went on to note: “It is equally regrettable that the European Union, which once adopted decisions to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and promote their economic and social development but failed to implement them—including the Direct Trade Regulation—has taken a negative stance toward our observer membership in the Organization of Turkic States. While the report repeatedly refers to the United Nations in the Cyprus context, it strikingly overlooks the strong call made by the then UN Secretary-General in 2004 for the lifting of the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriots.”

The Presidency also criticized factual inaccuracies in the section on the closed city of Varosha (Maraş) and condemned the stance that disregards the equal rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people over the island’s surrounding maritime jurisdiction areas and natural resources.

“On the other hand,” the statement concluded, “we consider it important that the report highlights the improvement in relations between Turkey and Greece. In this context, we once again remind all relevant parties that a similar improvement could be achieved in Cyprus if the international community were to adopt a fairer, more objective, and constructive approach toward the island.”