Cyprus Times

Turkey to UN: Cyprus-Ukraine Parallel Not Constructive

Published March 24, 2026, 20:09
Turkey to UN: Cyprus-Ukraine Parallel Not Constructive

Turkey responded to statements made by the Cypriot Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michalis Damianou, at the UN, arguing that the parallel between the Cyprus issue and the situation in Ukraine is not constructive. The Turkish Cypriot side, through Turkey, rejects the presentation of the Greek Cypriot side as the sole representative of the island and disputes the characterizations of “foreign aggression and occupation.” The letter to the UN states that no Security Council resolution characterizes the 1974 invasion as “aggression” or the Turkish presence as “occupation,” arguing that the crisis began in 1963 with the exclusion of Turkish Cypriots from state institutions. Turkey justifies the 1974 intervention based on the Treaty of Guarantee and claims that the intervention “brought peace to the island.” Finally, it is emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot side is the interlocutor of the Greek Cypriot side, not Turkey.