Speaking on his first official foreign visit as President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the only way forward in the Cyprus problem is to have a two-state solution, ‘Yahoo News’ reports.
The newly-elected Turkish president who arrived from Ankara yesterday to pay the traditional first visit to the TRNC, said, “It is our common desire to reach a permanent and fair agreement.”
“The TRNC is doing whatever necessary to work on a new partnership based on a two-state solution and political equality.
“It is not possible for us to reach any agreement that is not based on a two-state solution,” he said adding that, “Greece and the Greek Cypriots should demonstrate the same goodwill.”
However, spokesman Nikos Christodoulides said the South Cyprus government considered as unacceptable Ankara’s “frequent call for the involvement of Greece in the dialogue in an effort to equate the responsibilities for the ongoing occupation in Cyprus for which Turkey is solely responsible.”
Meanwhile Erdogan called on the international community to take more positive steps towards finding a solution.
“No one should test our patience and waste our time. This window of opportunity cannot remain open forever,” he warned.
Erdogan said he would discuss Cyprus at this week’s NATO summit and at the opening of the UN General Assembly later in the month.
