Erdoğan's promised good news turns out to be plans to construct gov't complex in Turkish Cyprus
President Erdoğan has said that Turkey will construct a government complex in Turkish Cyprus. "This is the expression of being a state," Erdoğan said.
Duvar English - Reuters
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan promised Turkish Cypriots on July 19 Turkey would build a new government complex to symbolize the state of Turkish Cyprus, which he said the world would "sooner or later" recognize despite near universal opposition for now.
His statement prompted surprise on social media since he earlier promised to deliver good news, which usually is related to gas exploration or the economy in general. His "good news" being another construction project was slammed by critics.
Erdoğan made the pledge in a speech to parliamentarians of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognized by Ankara, reiterating his support for a two-state solution to the island's division.
Greek Cypriots - the island's internationally recognized government and an EU member - refuse to discuss a two-state formula as it implies recognition of the TRNC.
"The project work on the TRNC presidential complex has been completed and we will start construction soon, God willing," Erdoğan said, adding that the complex would include a new parliament.
"This is the expression of being a state. By realizing this project some people must see what sort of a Northern Cyprus state there is," he said.
The east Mediterranean island of Cyprus was split in two in 1974 in a Turkish invasion, exactly 47 years ago on Tuesday, following a brief Greek-inspired coup.
Erdoğan said in February the only way to resolve the dispute was to establish two states, but the leaders of Greece and the Greek Cypriot government reject this, saying they would only accept a peace deal based on U.N. resolutions.
"On the island there are two separate states and two separate peoples. The international community will accept this reality sooner or later," he said on July 19. "We cannot lose another 50 years."
In April, the United Nations failed to bridge disagreements over restarting peace talks between the two sides, which collapsed in acrimony in 2017.
Cyprus's split is a constant source of tension between NATO allies Greece and Turkey, and has taken on sharper focus since the discovery of natural gas in the region.
For decades, the United Nations has been attempting to piece Cyprus back together as a two-zone federation - the only thing the two sides had, until recently, been able to agree to in principle.