Nicosia: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted on Tuesday on a solution of two countries in Cyprus and threw his weight behind a controversial plan for the reopening of some of the cities of the beach resort emptied from the original Greek Cyprus population.
Uncompromising speeches in northern Nicosia are divided into other steps towards opening the city of ghost and former Varosha resort, which violates the resolution of the United Nations and slams as “unacceptable” by the European Union.
“We don’t have another 50 years to be thrown away,” Erdogan told the crowd at a parade to mark the 47th warning of his country’s invasion which divided the Mediterranean island.
He refers to decades of failed efforts to reunite Cyprus sectors controlled by Greek and Turkish Cyprus.
“There is no progress that can be done in negotiations without accepting that there are two people and two countries with the same status,” he said.
He also voiced support for the Turkish Cyprus plan to reopen the Varosha section, effectively submitting control of the Turkish military and changing the status quo, opposing the UN resolution.
“New period doors that will benefit everyone will open in Varosha,” Erdogan said.
The Turkish Cyprus leader Ersin Tatar, who is close to Erdogan and supports the solution of two countries rather than the old federation sought in negotiations that are not led, saying 3.5 percent of Varosha will be “removed from his military status”.
Erdogan said this showed “How the Turkish Cyprus Authority was sensitive to close to this problem”.
But the European Union’s main diplomat Josep Borrell quickly slammed such a step as “unilateral decisions that were unacceptable”.
To cheer from the supporters of Turkish criminals, Erdogan accused the Greek Sypiot “Blocking any route to the solution” with “the maximum approach …
which was cut off from reality”.
He refused to commemorate this month from the president of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen that Brussels will “never accept” two countries’ solutions for Cyprus, UE members since 2004.
Unlike the celebration in the north, sad sirens blew up in the south of Nicosia at 5:30 in the morning ( 0230 GMT) to mark the initial invasion of July 20, 1974.
Turkish troops confiscate the northern third of Cyprus in response to the coup which was canceled in Nicosia aimed at attaching the country to Greece.
The island is now shared between the Republic of Cyprus managed by Greek Cyprus and the Republic of Turkey which was declared in North Cyprus, only recognized by Ankara.
“Life will begin again at Varosha,” said Erdogan on the second day of his visit to the north, updating the offer of financial compensation for Greek Cyprok who lost the property in 1974.
Playgrounds who were Hollywood celebrities, Varosha was for several decades that were displaced by the city of ghosts, Lined by the Turkish army and stored as a bargaining chip in negotiations.
But Turkish soldiers restored public access to the edge of the beach last year, a few weeks before the selection of Tatar.
The United Nations Security Council responds by calling for a reversal of decisions and “for the parties to avoid unilateral actions that can increase tensions on the island” Erdogan visited Varosha in the following month in a step that was criticized by the Cyprus Republic as “provocation without precedents”.
Since then a main road, Democratias Avenue, has been cleaned and workers competed to tidy up the road ahead of the possibility of the second visit.
Erdogan insisted that the steps to revive the city would respect property rights.
“We don’t pay attention to the land, right or property, but no one can touch Turkish or TRNC rights,” he said.
Internationally recognized governments in Nicosia have emphasized that Varosha is a “red line”, and greatly condemned Erdogan’s previous visit to North Cyprus.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dental will mature in Cyprus on Wednesday with Heels of Erdogan’s Trip.