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Türkiye welcomed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) parliament's approval Tuesday of a resolution supporting a two-state solution to the Cyprus issue, calling it a powerful statement of Turkish Cypriot determination.
"This decision is a strong manifestation of the determination of the Turkish Cypriot people to protect their own sovereignty, identity, and future," Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz wrote on the social media platform X.
The Turkish Cyprus parliament adopted the resolution by a majority vote of 29 in favor from the ruling National Unity Party, the Democratic Party, the Rebirth Party and independent lawmaker Hasan Tosunoglu.
The resolution passed by the TRNC Parliament reads, "Efforts should be made to lift the unjust political, economic, and social isolations imposed on the TRNC, to accelerate initiatives for the recognition and promotion of the TRNC in the international arena, and to convey to the international community that the ‘two-state’ settlement is the foundation for true and lasting peace in Cyprus."
"Taking into account global developments and shifting balances, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Parliament believes that through unity, solidarity, and close cooperation with motherland Türkiye, the TRNC can soon achieve these goals," the resolution noted.
The resolution also calls for full membership of the TRNC in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and reaffirms the commitment of both the TRNC parliament and the Turkish Cypriot people to the vision of the Republic of Türkiye's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, "Independence is my character."
Yilmaz said the federation model, which has failed to yield results for half a century, is now exhausted.
"A realistic, sustainable, and just solution on the island is only possible on the basis of two sovereign, equal states", Yilmaz said, extending his congratulations to TRNC parliament members for taking this stand for the future, peace and dignity of the Turkish Cypriot people.
"As Türkiye, our support for the will of the Turkish Cypriots to make their own decisions and shape their future will continue, Yilmaz concluded.
Cyprus has been mired in a decadeslong dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the United Nations to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.
A Greek Cypriot coup in 1974 aimed at Greece's annexation of the island led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the Turkish Cyprus was founded in 1983.
The island has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom.
The Greek Cypriot Administration entered the European Union in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots single-handedly blocked a U.N. plan to end the longstanding dispute.
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