Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci used the visit of Turkish Pesident Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Turkish-occupied north Cyprus to reiterate demands on Cyprus’ EEZ.
“With Turkey’s support, it is out of the question that we give up our rights in the Eastern Mediterranean,” he told a joint press conference.
He also said that the Turkish Cypriots would not agree on an ‘open-ended’ process in the Cyprus peace talks.
“From now on, the Turkish side of Cyprus will not be a part of an unending negotiation process.”
Erodgan paid a short visit to occupied north Cyprus on Tuesday, a day after his inauguration as president following his re-election on June 24.
He said the mindset of Greek Cypriots remains unchanged from when the latest peace effort collapsed a year ago.
Erdogan said Ankara won’t allow Turkish Cypriots to become victims of failed attempts at a peace deal or to be reduced to a minority in a Greek Cypriot-dominated state.
“Cyprus is our national cause. Our goal is to find a just and lasting solution on Cyprus,” he added.
Erdogan also said that Turkey aims to double the breakaway state’s income per capita by turning it into a pole of attraction in the Eastern Mediterranean.
For his part, Akinci said Turkish Cypriots were unfairly isolated and needed Turkey’s support.
Erdogan returned to Ankara on Tuesday night from where he will travel to Brussels for the NATO summit on the sidelines of which a meeting is planned with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
