Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu and Turkey’s Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat met with citizens in Yenierenköy. The Turkish Foreign Minister arrived on Saturday and is holding meetings with President Akinci and party political leaders today.
Çavuşoğlu said to better serve the citizens of Famagusta, Turkey would open a consulate there.
Minister Çavuşoğlu pledged to stand by the Turkish Cypriots. Underlining that they will continue to increase their contribution to strengthen the TRNC economy, Minister Çavuşoğlu said the financial aid will continue to increase with the recent financial protocols signed.
Çavuşoğlu stated that they will work in close cooperation with the TRNC government in order to strengthen the economy. “We have brought water to the island and now we are working to bring electricity and so we will reduce the cost of electricity here”, he said.
The Turkish foreign minister said, “We know that despite our warnings to the European Union and Greece, which is the patron of the Greek Cypriot side, despite the warnings we gave to the international community, we have told them that the Turkish Cypriot people are entitled to the riches from the hydrocarbon around the island. We have clearly conveyed to them that we will certainly not allow the Turkish Cypriot people to lose their rights”.
Regarding the problems with the Greek Cypriots, Minister Çavuşoğlu said, “I want to warn them here that no one, whether you are in the European Union, Greece or anyone, can get interfere with our activities here. For 60 years we have not found a solution to the Cyprus problem. In the same way, unfortunately, we could not find the solution in Crans–Montana as Anastasiades personally told me that the Greek Cypriot people do not want to share anything with the Turkish Cypriot people even as far as not sharing the same hospitals”. Anastasiades, he added, told him in Crans-Montana that the sides should look at a two-state solution “but not announce it before the [2018 presidential] elections”.
Minister Çavuşoğlu said that the Greek Cypriot side made up something new every day and that the Greek Cypriot side should first say what it wants and whether it is sincere or not.
He stressed that the Turkish Cypriot people and the Republic of Turkey are in favour of a solution “A solution with zero security and zero guarantees cannot be imagined, either”, he added, arguing that there was a need for Turkey’s guarantees and security “now more than ever and if anyone [on the Turkish side] says that guarantees and security are antiquated those people are reckless and are traitors”.
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