The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has slammed the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodulides regarding his address to the UN General Assembly.

A statement issued by the ministry said that Christodulides’ remarks were detached from the historical past and current realities of the island, shallow, insincere, and disrespectful towards the Turkish Cypriot people.

In his speech, the Greek Cypriot leader had repeated the claim of an “occupation and invasion” issue in Cyprus, arrogantly asserting that he spoke on behalf of all “communities” in Cyprus, hiding behind the lie that he represents the entire island.

“We would like to remind the Greek Cypriot leader that the only occupation on the island occurred when the partnership state was forcibly seized by the Greek Cypriot side in 1963. Christodulides’s speech from the UN podium is a new manifestation of this occupation,” the foreign ministry statement read.

It said that the Greek Cypriot leader did not have the right or authority to represent the Turkish Cypriot people and/or the entire island.

“With his speech, Christodulides is attempting to cover up the massacres and atrocities they committed against the Turkish Cypriot people in these lands, where they are equal owners, between 1963 and 1974. Another event that the Greek Cypriot leader is trying to conceal is the Greek-Cypriot coup that preceded the 1974 Turkish Peace Operation and was the cause of it. Christodulides is trying to portray the Greek Cypriot people as the “victims” of the Cyprus problem they themselves created, distorting historical facts and continuing their disinformation campaign,” it said.

The foreign ministry said that the approach of avoiding engaging with the Turkish Cypriot side and going so far as to send a message to the President of the Republic of Türkiye was a great disrespect and display of insincerity towards the Turkish Cypriots.

It said that Christodulides’ disregard for the Turkish Cypriots demonstrates once again how justified the Turkish Cypriot side is in its policy of a two-state solution based on sovereign equality and equal international status.

“The Turkish Cypriot people will continue to exist on this island and will not give up their inherent rights. The Greek Cypriot state does not and cannot represent the Turkish Cypriot people. Christodulides’ statement that negotiations should start on the basis of the “federation” model, which has failed in more than half a century of negotiations due to the uncompromising attitude of the Greek Cypriot leadership, is a clear example of hypocrisy and devoid of any sincerity,” it said.

The ministry added that the Turkish Cypriot side will never accept a process that confines the Turkish Cypriot people to the negotiation table indefinitely and allows the Greek Cypriot side to continue isolating the Turkish Cypriot people.

“The Turkish Cypriot people cannot afford to lose another 50 years.

Today, we would like to remind you that a fair, realistic, and sustainable settlement on the island is based on good neighbourly relations developed between two separate independent states,” the statement concluded.