Ankara has reiterated its firm commitment to a two-state solution for Cyprus, clarifying that its policy remains unchanged irrespective of the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections in the internationally unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on October 19. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used the occasion of his return flight from the United States to send a clear message regarding Turkey’s long-standing position on the island’s future.
According to the T24 news site, President Erdoğan reaffirmed Ankara’s policy to journalists on the plane, stating, “Our mindset and policy on Cyprus are clear. The federation ledger is closed for us... The only realistic solution is the acceptance of the existence of two separate states on the island.” He emphasized that Turkish Cypriots would never accept minority status and dismissed the possibility of being drawn back into federation discussions through “word games.” Erdoğan further expressed confidence that the Turkish Cypriot people would make the “most accurate choice” in the upcoming polls.
The Turkish president stressed that Ankara’s stance on the Cyprus issue is definitive and should not be expected to change based on election results. He underscored Turkey’s role as the “motherland and guarantor,” assuring that Turkish Cypriots would never be left alone. Erdoğan also referenced Turkey’s formal declaration of its two-state policy at the United Nations General Assembly, highlighting its consistency and global announcement.
Previously, Erdoğan had stated that the TRNC, as a hypothetically sovereign state, conducts its elections independently, but Turkey considers the TRNC’s rights and interests as its own. He cautioned against attempts to destabilize the region or inflict past suffering upon the Turkish Cypriot people, reaffirming Turkey’s determination to protect the island’s Turkish population and its guarantor rights under international law.