Dialogos

Turkish Cypriot Side Rejects Parallel Between Cyprus and Ukraine in Letter to UN

Published March 24, 2026, 20:01
Turkish Cypriot Side Rejects Parallel Between Cyprus and Ukraine in Letter to UN

The Turkish Cypriot side has rejected the parallel drawn between the Cyprus issue and the situation in Ukraine, describing it as “neither conducive nor constructive” in a letter transmitted to the UN by Turkey. The letter is a response to statements made by the Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michalis Damianou, at the UN Security Council regarding Ukraine. The Turkish Cypriot side argues that the Greek Cypriot side seeks to present itself as the sole representative of the island, while rejecting references to “foreign aggression and continued occupation.” It insists that no Security Council resolution characterizes the Turkish invasion of 1974 as “aggression” or the Turkish presence as “occupation.” According to the Turkish Cypriot side, the crisis began in 1963 with the exclusion of Turkish Cypriots from state institutions and that Turkey acted in 1974 under the Treaty of Guarantee, following the coup d'état in favor of union. They claim that the Turkish intervention “brought peace to the island.” The letter concludes by emphasizing that the Turkish Cypriot side is the interlocutor of the Greek Cypriot side and not Turkey. This position reflects the Turkish Cypriot side’s long-standing effort to present the Cyprus issue as an internal problem and to downplay Turkey’s role in the crisis.