Presidential Spokesman Barış Burcu criticised the Dutch and French Foreign Ministers who have refused to meet with the Turkish Cypriot side during their latest visit to the island.

In his statement, Burcu said: “The refusal of the Dutch and French Foreign Ministers to meet with Turkish Cypriot officials after bowing down to the Greek Cypriot side’s pressure is unacceptable, particularly at a time when the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was assessing the future of the Cyprus problem as well as the UN peacekeeping force on the island.”

“The Netherlands and France are not just two ordinary countries. They are both important members of the EU. Moreover, France is also a permanent member of the UN Security Council.”

Burcu pointed out that such one-sided contacts carried out with the Greek Cypriot side by EU member countries, who express support to settlement efforts at every opportunity, did not contribute in any way to the solution of the Cyprus problem.

“Such actions only serve to further encourage the Greek Cypriot side, which is not ready to share power or wealth with Turkish Cypriots, to continue its intransigence on the Cyprus problem” Burcu added.