Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu made statements on the Cyprus issue during an event he attended.

Ertuğruloğlu stressed that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was established with great sacrifices, not to be a joke of history, not to be abolished someday, nor to fall under the control of another state.

“This state is the symbol and expression of the Turkish Cypriot people’s sovereignty, freedom, and identity. It is our duty to protect this state” he stressed.

Stating that defending the state should not be labelled as “intransigence”, the Foreign Minister pointed out that some groups do define it as such.

“Unfortunately, there are those among us who see a solution in abolishing the state,” Ertuğruloğlu said however stressed that the real solution lies in the very existence of the state itself.

Stressing that the TRNC will continue to exist in any potential solution, he said, “As long as South Cyprus is treated as the so-called ‘Republic of Cyprus,’ no one should expect a solution in Cyprus. This is the reality. The problem is that South Cyprus is recognized as the Republic of Cyprus.”

Ertuğruloğlu added that, especially in this period when the US is turning Southern Cyprus into a “base,” as long as South Cyprus is treated as the Republic of Cyprus, and as long as the TRNC is ignored or treated as if it should not exist while being pressured with embargoes, there could be no expectation of a solution in Cyprus.

Stressing that that unless the problem was correctly diagnosed, talking about a solution is meaningless, the Foreign Minister noted that the problem lied in treating South Cyprus as if it represents the Turkish Cypriots’ state.

“As long as this continues, no one should expect a solution. The TRNC itself is the solution, because its existence represents not ‘one state,’ but two states. One island, two states; one island, two peoples; one island, two republics” Ertuğruloğlu added.