Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said Wednesday that the European Commission’s recent appointment of a Special Representative for Cyprus is viewed by Ankara as an internal matter of the European Union, while reiterating strong criticism of the EU’s stance on the Cyprus issue.
In a statement, Keçeli underscored that the EU compromised its neutrality by admitting the Greek Cypriot side as a member state in 2004, despite its rejection of the UN Comprehensive Solution Plan (Annan Plan).
“The EU has since defended the Greek Cypriot side’s positions and claims, and we have observed a deepening of this biased approach in recent years,” he said.
He stressed that any role played by the EU in the Cyprus issue must reflect the political realities on the island.
“We expect the official in question to urge the Greek Cypriot side to come to terms with the facts on the ground and recognize that any new negotiation process in the future must be between two sovereign states, not merely two communities,” Keçeli added.
His remarks come in response to the EU’s appointment of Johannes Hahn as Special Representative for Cyprus, a move criticized by the Turkish Cypriot leadership as unilateral and unacceptable without Turkish Cypriot consent.
