[Francisco Seco/AP]
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday said that “historical problems” in Cyprus can be left behind with a two-state solution for the island.
“We believe that we can leave the historical problems behind with a two-state solution on the island of Cyprus, and we are advancing our work in this direction,” he told journalists on his flight back to Turkey from Italy, where he had met the country’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“We will continue to increase our efforts for the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Turkey will never leave the TRNC alone and destitute. It is the Republic of Turkey’s historical and humanitarian responsibility to defend the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots on every platform,” he said, referring to the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island.
Concerning relations with Greece, Erdogan said “we seek to develop our relations with Greece based on good neighborliness, friendship and alliance.”