Akar makes a call to the EU
Date Added: 10 September 2024

The Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Hulusi Akar, called on the European Union (EU) to accept a two-state solution in Cyprus.

Speaking at a conference held in Budapest, Akar said, “There should be two states on the island, and the related solution should be based on the principles of sovereignty, equality, and equal international status.”

The Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Hulusi Akar, called on the European Union to accept a two-state solution in Cyprus.

According to the Anadolu Agency, Akar attended the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy held in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, which currently holds the EU Presidency.

Commenting on Türkiye’s EU accession process, Akar stressed the need to deepen dialogue and cooperation between Türkiye and the EU in defense and security policies, given Türkiye’s role as a regional stability and security provider.

He stressed that this would be in the best interest of both parties.

Akar further added that the European Union should be prepared to cooperate with all its allies, including Türkiye, by utilizing existing potentials.

“The allegations against Türkiye regarding the Cyprus issue and sanctions on Russia are completely unfounded in the context of Türkiye’s EU membership process” he said.

Reminding that the Greek Cypriot side continuously blocked a resolution on the island in 2004, Akar added, “I would like to remind you that they did the same thing once again by walking away from the negotiating table in Crans-Montana in 2017. We must recognize the fact that there are two peoples on the island. There should be two states on this island, and any relevant solution must be based on the principles of sovereignty, equality, and equal international status.”

During his speech, Akar also responded to statements made by Greek parliamentarians.

“In response to the baseless claims of our Greek colleagues, I would like to state that the Cyprus Peace Operation was conducted in 1974 to stop the ethnic cleansing and massacres carried out by the Greek junta,” Akar said, stressing that Turkish forces on the island had been the sole element of peace and stability since 1974.