Üstel rejects EU 2026 Turkey Report's assessments on Cyprus

Prime Minister and National Unity Party leader Ünal Üstel sharply criticised the European Commission's 2026 Turkey Report over its assessments of the Cyprus issue. Üstel said the report targets Turkey's Cyprus policy, the sovereign rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the Maraş initiative and planned energy projects between Turkey and the TRNC, which he said he firmly rejects.

Üstel said the United Nations and the European Union have not treated Turkish Cypriots fairly. He cited 1963, UN Security Council Resolution 186, and the EU's 2004 acceptance of the Greek Cypriot administration as a member, even though Turkish Cypriots voted yes and Greek Cypriots voted no on the Annan Plan. He said the report's criticism of the planned Anamur–Teknecik natural gas pipeline was deeply thought-provoking.

Üstel said Turkey's military presence on the island is a guarantee of security and that criticism of the two-state approach is unacceptable. He called on the EU and the UN to question isolation and embargoes, and said the future of Turkish Cypriots will be determined by their own free will, not by one-sided reports prepared in Brussels.