Turkey president: Two-state solution only way out of Cyprus crisis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that the only way to solve the dispute over Cyprus is to establish two states, Anadolu reported.

Speaking during a meeting of his ruling Justice and Development party’s parliamentary bloc, Erdogan said: “I say to Greece and Cyprus, there is no longer any solution but a two-state solution. Only under these conditions can we sit at the table over Cyprus. Otherwise everyone should go their own way.”

Addressing the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Erdogan said: “Mitsotakis challenged me. How can we sit down with you now? Know your limit first. If you really seek peace, don’t challenge me.”

“The world must realise that we will no longer allow the Turkish Cypriots to remain victims of the ongoing crisis on the island for half a century,” he added.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when the Turkish army responded to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Greek government.

The island was effectively partitioned, with the northern third run by a Turkish Cypriot government and the southern two-thirds by the internationally-recognised government led by Greek Cypriots.

READ: ‘Greece has no intention for agreement in Cyprus,’ says Turkish Cypriot PM