TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel released a written statement directed at UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, asserting that a new process on the Cyprus issue can only start by acknowledging the political realities on the island.
Recalling that Guterres will also visit the TRNC, Üstel expressed hope that the visit would be an occasion to sincerely scrutinize the injustices against the Turkish Cypriot people.
Üstel pointed out that after the 2004 Annan Plan referendum, the promises made to solution-seeking Turkish Cypriots went unfulfilled, their isolation deepened, and systematic economic attacks on the TRNC escalated. He stressed that the primary blame rests with the EU and the UN for failing to keep their word.
Üstel said the UN must abandon the federation approach that has yielded no results for over sixty years. 'The reality on the island is clear. There are two peoples, two democracies, and two separate states in Cyprus,' he stated.
The TRNC Prime Minister emphasized that a lasting agreement is only possible by accepting the realities, and said: 'Mr. Guterres, if you want to make history by solving the Cyprus problem, you must do this: The United Nations General Assembly must convene and recognize the TRNC. The road to a lasting agreement and a lasting solution goes through this.'