The General Secretary of the National Unity Party (UBP) Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu made a statement regarding the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration Nikos Christodoulides’ recent call to Türkiye.
Describing the call as a “futile effort,” Hasipoğlu stressed that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), together with motherland Türkiye, would not take a step back in defending its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The General Secretary of the National Unity Party (UBP) Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu reacted to Christodoulides’ remarks made during his US visit, where the Greek Cypriot leader said, “If Türkiye is ready, we are ready to negotiate the delimitation of maritime zones.”
Hasipoğlu labeled the statement as a “futile attempt.”
In his written statement, Hasipoğlu characterized Christodoulides’ effort to shift attention to the Cyprus issue and Türkiye during his US visit—originally intended to attract investment—as “tragicomic,” especially since his trip garnered little attention in his own public opinion.
Commenting on Christodoulides’ offer to negotiate maritime boundaries in the island’s northwest, Hasipoğlu underlined that any dialogue regarding the island’s resources must involve the Turkish Cypriot side.
“It is clear that the Greek Cypriot leader, who tries to portray casual conversations as diplomatic victories, has made yet another meaningless statement,” he said.
Reiterating that the TRNC would not back down from protecting its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean alongside Türkiye, Hasipoğlu added that during the terms of former Presidents Derviş Eroğlu and Mustafa Akıncı, the Turkish Cypriot side proposed cooperation with the South on energy exploration, and that Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry suggested an energy conference on the matter.
Hasipoğlu noted that the Greek Cypriot side rejected all proposals, insisting on its claim to be the island’s sole sovereign and clinging to the notion: “I am the sole ruler of the island; if a solution ever comes, I might consider sharing.”
Stating that the public was no longer buying into the South’s so-called gestures of dialogue, he stressed that President Ersin Tatar had never avoided the negotiation table and continued his genuine efforts to foster cooperation between the two states for the benefit of both peoples.
“If the Greek Cypriot leader is truly sincere about sharing, it will be shown through concrete steps – such as cooperation on the electricity project in the buffer zone, the opening of new crossing points, and embracing cooperative models” Hasipoğlu concluded.