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The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Öncü Keçeli, issued a statement regarding the speeches delivered at the event organised on the occasion of the South Cyprus assuming the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). He stated the following:
“We reject the expressions such as ‘occupation’, ‘invasion’ and ‘division’, regarding the Island of Cyprus, made in various speeches delivered at the event held on 7 January 2026 on the occasion of the Greek Cypriot Administration’s assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the EU. These terms in no way reflect the historical and current realities on the Island.
The sole ‘occupation’ on the Island stems from the Greek Cypriot side’s usurpation of the organs of the partnership state in 1963, in clear violation of the Constitution and the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people.
The position of EU officials, which ignores the existence of the Turkish Cypriots, once again reveals the double standards applied by the EU regarding the fundamental human values it claims to uphold.
Furthermore, the Greek Cypriot side’s abuse of the Presidency of the Council of the EU from the very outset to promote its distorted rhetoric and intransigent position on the Cyprus issue, contrary to its public commitments, demonstrates why the EU cannot be an impartial and constructive actor in resolving the Cyprus issue.”