Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel on Thursday said he was “surprised and regretful” about references to Cyprus in the European Parliament’s latest annual report on Turkey. The report called on Turkey to give the Turkish Cypriot community “the necessary space” to chart its own political course.
Reaction to report language on political course
Ustel said the statement implied Turkey was interfering with the will of Turkish Cypriots, calling the approach inconsistent with historical facts and unacceptable. He said Turkish Cypriots have “their own state, democratic institutions, and free will,” and that people make choices and exercise democratic rights without pressure.
He said support from the Republic of Turkey was not an intervention but a result of historical and cultural ties and Turkey’s responsibilities as a guarantor power.
Cyprus problem references and internal positions
Ustel said the report’s references to efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem ignored what he described as the legitimate position of the Turkish Cypriot side based on sovereign equality and equal international status.
The article noted that Ustel’s position does not correlate with the official position of the Turkish Cypriot community, whose elected leader Tufan Erhurman favours a federal solution to the Cyprus problem. Despite this, Ustel said the report’s positive references to Erhurman’s election demonstrated an approach far removed from respect for the will of the people.
Buffer zone mentions and Pyla projects
Ustel said the report’s references to buffer zone violations, which he said refer only to those committed by Turkey, were one-sided and unrealistic. He said a one-sided narrative about alleged events in the buffer zone undermined reality.
On the impasse over the mutual understanding regarding planned bicommunal construction projects in the buffer zone village of Pyla, he said responsibility for implementing the agreement was not unilateral.
Call for troop withdrawal
Ustel criticised the report’s call for Turkey to withdraw its troops from the island, saying assessments based on the lens of “occupation” ignored attacks and the security needs of Turkish Cypriots.
What do you think should be prioritised in future European Parliament reports when addressing the Cyprus problem?
