Turkey will never abandon TRNC: Turkish FM
Cavusoglu says Greek Cypriot parliament ‘showed its real face" introducing 1950 Enosis (Union) Day' celebrations in schools
By Murat Demirci
LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Turkey will "never leave" the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) alone, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said late Thursday.
Speaking at a conference on the sidelines of his official visit to the TRNC, Cavusoglu said the Greek Cypriot parliament "showed its real face" when it decided to introduce 1950 Enosis (Union) Day' celebrations in schools.
The Greek Cypriot parliament voted Feb. 20 for the an annual commemoration of the 1950 referendum in which 96 percent of Greek Cypriots voted for the island to be annexed to Greece.
The top diplomat said Turkey wants a "fair, permanent and politically equal" solution to the decades-long Cyprus issue, however the Greek Cypriot side does “not display same sincerity as TRNC”.
Regarding the sudden apparent walkout last Thursday of Cypress talks by Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades, Cavusoglu said Turkey has and will always stand by Turkish Cypriot and its people in handling the decades-long issue over the island.
The issue of reunification of Cyprus remains unsolved despite a series of discussions that resumed in May 2015.
The main goal is to find a political solution as the sides seek to reunify the island under a federal system after more than 40 years of division.
The eastern Mediterranean island was divided into a Turkish Cypriot state in the north and a Greek Cypriot administration in the south after a 1974 military coup was followed by the intervention of Turkey as a guarantor power.
Cyprus’ three guarantors -- Turkey, Greece and Great Britain -- were assigned when it gained independence from the U.K. in 1960.
