Turkish parliament passes resolution for two-state solution in Cyprus
The Turkish parliament on Thursday night passed a resolution supporting a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem.
The resolution, introduced by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, stated that “the only and definitive solution on the island” can be achieved by “granting the Turkish Cypriot people their inherent rights” and by “codifying their sovereign equality and equal international status”.
“The two state-solution is also the only way to ensure stability and lasting peace in the Mediterranean region. The existence of two separate peoples and two separate states on the island should no longer be ignored. It is essential that attempts to resolve the Cyprus problem be built on this reality,” the resolution read.
It added, “the Turkish Cypriot state cannot be delayed any longer in taking its rightful place as an independent and equally sovereign member of the international community.”
It went on to call on the international community to “accept the realities on the island, to immediately put an end to the inhumane isolation to which the Turkish Cypriot people are subjected, and to recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, as it deserves.”
The resolution was hailed by Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, who said the Turkish parliament had “once again announced to the entire world on behalf of the Turkish nation that it stands by the Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriot state.”
“On behalf of myself and the Turkish Cypriot people, I would like to express my gratitude to the Turkish parliament and all parties which unanimously passed this resolution, and offer my deepest love and respect,” he said.
The north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel also “saluted” the resolution, saying it “confirms the common vision held by Turkey and the TRNC for the solution of the Cyprus problem.”
“The emphasis on the existence of two states on the island., the support given to the vision for a two-state solution, and the joint call for the recognition of our state are historical events,” he said.