Turkish President Erdogan continues to support a two-state solution for Cyprus

Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists on a two-state solution for the de facto divided EU island republic of Cyprus. His country fully supports these efforts, the Turkish news agency Anadolu quoted Erdogan as saying during a visit to Lefkosa in Northern Cyprus to mark the 51st anniversary of the 1974 Turkish invasion. "We firmly believe that this will happen sooner or later." It is high time for the international community to come to terms with the realities on the ground.

Cyprus has been de facto divided since 1974 following a Greek coup and a Turkish military intervention. In the north, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus exists, recognized only by Turkey. The internationally recognized government of the EU island republic in Nicosia controls the south. In recent years, the fronts have hardened: While the Greek Cypriots and the UN are calling for reunification, Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership are committed to a two-state solution.

Erdogan also called for an end to the isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He said there must be closer diplomatic, political, and economic relations. The "decades of injustice" against Turkish Cypriots must end.

All of Cyprus has been a member of the EU since 2004. However, due to the de facto division, EU law only applies to the south. UN peacekeepers monitor the approximately 180-kilometer-long buffer zone between the two sides. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world.

RND/dpa