Oncu Keceli, spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, criticized the Republic of Cyprus and the European Union Thursday, accusing Cyprus of “abusing” its EU presidency to promote a “distorted” image of the Cyprus problem and saying the EU has “not been a neutral or constructive factor” in resolving the issue.
Keceli said “(we) reject the use of terms such as ‘occupation’, ‘invasion’ and ‘division’ that were used in reference to the island of Cyprus during various speeches at the event held on January 7, 2026, to mark the assumption of the EU Presidency by the Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus. These terms are in no way compatible with the historical and current reality on the island.”
“The only ‘occupation’ on the island stems from the usurpation of the institutions of the partner state by the Greek Cypriot side in 1963, in flagrant violation of the Constitution and the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people,” he said. “The contempt for the existence of Turkish Cypriots by EU officials reveals once again the EU’s double standards around the fundamental humanitarian values it claims to uphold. On the other hand, the fact that the Greek Cypriot side, contrary to its publicly made commitments, has abused the EU Presidency from the very beginning to present its distorted rhetoric and incompatible positions on the Cyprus problem, reveals why the EU cannot be a neutral and constructive actor in the resolution of the Cyprus problem.”