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26 March, 2018The Spokesperson of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Hami Aksoy, has stated that the EU has completely lost its objectivity on the Cyprus issue and added, “As long as this attitude continues, it is not possible to accept the EU as a third party on the Cyprus issue.”
Aksoy referred to the latest developments regarding Cyprus at a press conference for diplomatic reporters.
Spokesperson Aksoy highlighted Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kudret Özersay’s official visit to Turkey on 20 March, and stressed that the latest developments on the Cyprus issue, as well as Turkey and the TRNC’s joint stance in the face of unilateral hydrocarbon activities by the Greek Cypriot administration in the Eastern Mediterranean, were all discussed at the meetings.
Aksoy pointed out that, following elections on the Greek Cypriot side, the “zero troops zero guarantee” discourse has re-emerged, and recalled the words of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who stated that this stance “is nothing more than a dream.”
“We advise the Greek Cypriot side once again to wake up from this dream and to see the facts on the island,” Aksoy said.
Responding to a question on the final declaration from the EU, which stressed that the EU Council strongly condemned Turkey’s ongoing activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea and highlighted the solidarity between the Greek Cypriot administration and Greece, Aksoy said, “The EU issued a statement which once again serves Greek interests and demonstrates their negative stance towards Turkey.”
“The EU supports these two countries purely on the basis of EU membership, and regardless of which side is in the right. The EU has completely lost its objectivity on the Cyprus issue. We understood that in 2004 as well. As long as this attitude by the EU continues, it is not possible to accept the EU as a third party in the Cyprus issue. EU member states stand with the Greek Cypriot administration, which acts contrary to international law, without question. Such actions will not lead to constructive consequences while we are trying to work towards a positive agenda with the EU.”