The leadership in the occupied north has hit back at President Christodoulides following his address to the European Parliament, accusing the Republic of Cyprus of a “one-sided approach” that ignores the political will of Turkish Cypriots.
Unal Ustel, the head of the National Unity Party (UBP) and “prime minister” of the breakaway regime, stated on Wednesday claiming that the President’s rhetoric sought to distort historical facts regarding the events of 1974. Ustel maintained that Turkey’s invasion was a “legal peace operation” that saved Turkish Cypriots from “extermination,” asserting that no political platform could alter this historical interpretation.
The row follows the President’s speech on Tuesday regarding the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, where he reiterated the illegality of the Turkish occupation. In response, Ustel argued that the European Union’s decision to admit Cyprus as a member while “ignoring the will” of the Turkish Cypriot people has fundamentally disrupted the balance on the island and removed any incentive for a federal solution. He reaffirmed the current Turkish Cypriot position that a “permanent, fair, and sustainable” settlement is only possible through the recognition of “two sovereign, equal states” with equal international status.
Adding to the criticism, the “speaker of the house,” Ziya Ozturkler, accused President Christodoulides of failing to account for modern realities on the ground.
Speaking to the illegal broadcaster Bayrak, Ozturkler challenged EU leaders to abandon what he termed “barrel politics”—referring to the observation of the north from behind the military fortifications of the Nicosia dividing line.
He urged European officials to “cross the border into the TRNC on foot” to witness first-hand what he described as a “peaceful and modern people” who remain open to the world despite international isolation.
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