Eide: “Property, security and guarantees will be discussed in the next few weeks”
27 July, 2016Akıncı: “Territory, security and guarantees will be discussed on Friday for the first time”
27 July, 2016As part of his first official visit overseas, Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün met with the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım in Ankara.
Following the meeting, the two Prime Ministers held a joint press conference and shared their assessment of the Cyprus issue, the water transfer project and the coup attempt in Turkey on 15 July.
Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün said: “Turkey’s presence on the island is the most important assurance of security of the Turkish Cypriots until we reach a settlement”
Stating that his government consistently aims to improve relations with Turkey in all areas, Prime Minister Özgürgün said that foreign policy decisions of the two countries are always carried out in close cooperation and coordination, in particular when it comes to solving the Cyprus problem. He added that Turkey provides the greatest level of support to the settlement process.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım confirmed that the relationship between Turkey and the TRNC is a strong one.
He also pointed out that the north of the island has been neglected for years and Turkish Cypriots are isolated by the embargos in place. This prevents the TRNC from enjoying many benefits of EU membership, which South Cyprus is able to rely on. The Prime Minister insisted that the full and effective guarantee of Turkey is indispensable for the TRNC.
Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün also met with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his official visit.