Fidan speaks to Anadolu Agency

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan answered questions on current issues and shared his views during an interview speaking at Anadolu Agency’s (AA) Editorial Desk at the AAtölye,

Fidan stated that the presence of Turkish troops on the island has not changed the status quo which he said, had remained unchanged for 50 years. He noted that stability and peace on the island had been maintained for one reason:the presence of Turkish troops on the island.

Fidan said Türkiye’s preferred solution to the Cyprus issue remained the recognition and implementation of a two-state settlement.

“Our ideal solution is the implementation of a two-state solution. A structure in which both the Greeks and the Turks have their own states and these two states live together in peace and tranquility on the island, contributing both to the prosperity of the island and to regional peace and stability. That is where we stand,” he said.

Fidan praised UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for prioritizing human dignity during his tenure, saying he had tried to stand on the right side on the Palestinian issue and other matters.

He said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan trusted Guterres personally and that Türkiye believed initiatives concerning Cyprus should be based on fairness.

Fidan said the state established under the 1960 agreement was not the same as the Republic of Cyprus that joined the EU in 2004.

He said the Greek Cypriot side is internationally recognized as representing the entire island while Turkish Cypriots living in the north are neglected.

Fidan said Türkiye provides the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus with economic and security support and recognizes it as a sovereign and independent state, although Türkiye is the only country to do so.

“But that does not change where we stand,” he said.

Fidan referred to the 2004 Annan Plan and the Crans-Montana process, noting that President Erdoğan had supported efforts based on equality between the two communities.

“The Greek Cypriot side will never share power, authority, prosperity or the state equally with the Turks. This is as certain as two plus two equals four,” Fidan said.

He said the Greek Cypriot side already had a state that was a member of the European Union, was represented at the United Nations and benefited from all the advantages associated with that status.

He argued that Greek Cypriots would not share those advantages with another party, adding that both they and the international community were aware of this.

“It is not rational to perpetuate such a lie,” he said.