Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ünal Üstel issued a call to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In a statement ahead of Guterres' visit to Cyprus, Üstel emphasized that lasting peace on the island is only possible with the recognition of the two-state reality.
According to a written statement from the National Unity Party, Üstel said the UN must abandon the federation model that has yielded no results for over sixty years. The TRNC Prime Minister stated, 'The reality on the island is clear. There are two peoples, two democracies, and two separate states in Cyprus.'
Üstel claimed that after the 2004 Annan Plan Referendum, promises made to the Turkish Cypriot people were not kept, isolation worsened, and systematic economic attacks on the TRNC increased. He stated that the main responsible parties for this situation are the European Union and the UN, which failed to keep their promises.
Noting that UN Secretary-General Guterres will also visit the TRNC, Üstel expressed hope that this visit would lead to a sincere questioning of the injustices inflicted upon the Turkish Cypriot people for years.
The TRNC Prime Minister, noting that the path to a lasting agreement lies in accepting realities, stated: 'Mr. Guterres, if you want to go down in history by solving the Cyprus issue, this is what must be done: The United Nations General Assembly must convene and recognize the TRNC.'