Erdoğan: ‘No chance for peace in Mediterranean without the participation of Turkey and TRNC’

President of the Turkish Republic Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with the Ambassadors of European Union member states in Ankara.

In his speech at the meeting President Erdoğan underlined that it was very well understood that there would be no chance for peace in the Mediterranean without the participation of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Stating that instead of being stuck on failed models for the Cyprus issue, new and realistic alternatives need to be discussed President Erdoğan said ‘”We’re not demanding anything we are not entitled to in the Eastern Mediterranean. We are trying to protect the legitimate interests of our country and our nation regarding the hydrocarbon resources in the region. The Mediterranean should be the sea to make us closer to each other and it should be a cooperation basin. We are a big family in the Mediterranean as Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Palestine, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Spain.’

President Erdoğan also noted that establishing an energy cooperation format, which includes all related sides and the Turkish Cypriots, would be a positive motivation. Moreover, the EU should make a sincere self-evaluation for rewarding the Greek side with EU membership, who said ‘no’ to a solution, and punishing the Turkish Cypriots who said ‘yes’ in 2004. He also questioned the EU role in helping to resolve the Cyprus issue, pointing to the EU’s recent lack of contact with the Turkish Cypriot side.

President Erdoğan added that efforts for a federal solution have proved hopeless, and any future talks must focus on two separate, sovereign states in Cyprus and instead of being stuck on failed models for the Cyprus issue, new and realistic alternatives need to be discussed.