Prime Minister Üstel: “The reality of two states in Cyprus must now be accepted”

Prime Minister Ünal Üstel has stated that lasting peace, security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean can only be achieved on the basis of mutual respect and sovereign equality, stressing that international community should recognise the reality of two separate peoples, two separate democracies and two separate states in Cyprus.

According to statement issued by the TRNC Prime Ministry, Üstel made the remarks while addressing the Mediterranean Peace and Diplomacy Forum organized in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Üstel stated that the TRNC is a strategic state situated at the heart of the Eastern Mediterranean and should be regarded not as a source of tension but as a hub for cooperation and peace.

Prime Minister Üstel said that the Turkish Cypriot people had been subjected to unjust isolation for many years, yet had never turned away from dialogue.

He added that the time had now come to accept that reality and that it was not possible to reach a solution in Cyprus by clinging to outdated approaches.

Üstel also said that the policy based on sovereign equality and equal international status is being pursued in full coordination with the Republic of Türkiye. He stressed that this approach is not merely a political preference, but a prerequisite for lasting peace on the island.

Concluding his remarks, Üstel said they remain open to dialogue and negotiations, provided the process is conducted ‘between equals’.