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The prime minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Sunday that any fair, lasting and realistic settlement on Cyprus can only be achieved through the recognition of two sovereign states, fully endorsing recent remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Prime Minister Ünal Üstel rejected statements by Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides that refer to United Nations resolutions as determinative of the island’s political future, saying they reflect a persistent effort to revive a federal model that has repeatedly failed.
He said the continued emphasis on federation amounts to a denial of Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality and an attempt to impose a unilateral settlement framework on the Turkish Cypriot community.
“Our position is clear, explicit and non-negotiable,” Üstel said, stressing that the two-state vision is neither a tactical maneuver nor a temporary stance but a permanent policy rooted in the historical will of Turkish Cypriots.
Üstel said the policy reflects the outcome of decades of struggle by Turkish Cypriots for political existence and equal status, adding that Erdogan’s position serves as a strategic anchor rather than a rhetorical statement.
“Progress cannot be achieved through ambiguous formulas or settlement models subtly dictated by the Greek Cypriot side,” he said, warning that the sovereign equality of Turkish Cypriots cannot be subjected to selective readings of UN resolutions.
Declaring that the federal model has been exhausted, Üstel said efforts to revive it are detached from political realities on the ground and run counter to the will of the people.
“The chapter of federation is closed,” he said. “Attempts to resuscitate failed models are destined to fail.”
Üstel also said that those advocating a two-state solution bear a responsibility to clearly explain to the Turkish Cypriot public the implications of joint statements signed under UN auspices, describing transparency on the issue as a test of political credibility.
“The Turkish Cypriot people know what they want,” Üstel said. “Turkey, our motherland, stands firmly behind this stance, and we will continue on this path with determination.”
Speaking at a party meeting on Dec. 24, Erdoğan said Turkey would not allow the rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots to be undermined, stressing that no agreement or diplomatic message would alter Ankara’s policy on Cyprus.