Ertuğruloğlu: The UN Security Council resolutions themselves created the Cyprus problem

Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu has reacted to Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides' claim of 'full agreement' with TRNC President Tufan Erhürman on staying within UN Security Council resolutions in seeking a Cyprus settlement. He said Erhürman has not yet responded to the claim and should clearly reject it.

Speaking to Türk Ajansı Kıbrıs (TAK), Ertuğruloğlu said the UN Security Council approach, starting with Resolution 186 of 1964, rests on a wrong diagnosis. 'Our policy is two sovereign equal states,' he said, adding that there is no question of backing down. He questioned why talks with the Greek Cypriot side continue, and said confidence-building measures reinforce the Greek Cypriot side's state status.

Ertuğruloğlu called for a focus on internal politics: 'We must focus on making the TRNC a more prosperous state, not on foreign policy.'