Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Turkey has the right to speak as a guarantor country in Cyprus with regard to defending the rights of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Erdoğan met with the editors of newspapers and television channels, some writers and academics.
In answer to a question, Erdoğan reiterated that the Yavuz and Barbaros vessels are present in the Eastern Mediterranean and added that Turkey takes these steps with its Naval and Air Forces.
“UAVs are both armed and unmanned, they are constantly flying in the region, and also ready to fly, so we are not interested in all the commotion that is going on in the area. We are focusing on our own operations. We have our brethren in North Cyprus. Then we have the Greek Cypriots in the south and there are three guarantor countries. Turkey as a guarantor country has a right to speak with regard to the defence of the rights of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. The EU has become part of this equation but has failed to do its part, so has the UN. The biggest example of this was the talks held in Bürgenstock. None of the promises made have been kept,” Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan also recalled that the EU had failed to honour its promises to the Turkish Cypriots following the referendum on the Annan Plan.
“While 65 per cent of Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the plan and 75 per cent of Greek Cypriots rejected the plan, the north was excluded from the EU while the Greek Cypriots were made full members. Unfortunately, the EU has failed to provide the support it promised. So in view of all of this, it is not possible for us to accept this entire outburst caused by the EU,” Erdoğan stressed.