Nikos Christodoulides said he was determined to unite the island. A day earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that there are two separate states and two separate peoples on the island.

WHAT DID CHRISTODOULIDES SAY?

— The flame of the torch of peace in Cyprus is waiting in the wings. I am determined to work tirelessly and courageously for peace in Cyprus. To reunite my country and its people in a modern, viable European State, without occupation troops, without foreign guarantees.

— It is an insult to call the invasion a peacekeeping operation. Revisionism cannot change reality. I say to Mr. Erdogan: now is the time to fulfill your declared commitment to international law and peace. No country that believes in the moral superiority of its position will refuse to sit down at the negotiating table.

— I firmly believe that we will be able to pave a new path of peace and cooperation. We can’t change the geography. This is an opportunity, not a curse. Turkey and Cyprus will always remain neighbors. Let’s change the narrative. Let’s create a legacy of peace together that can transform the entire region.

WHAT DID ERDOGAN SAY?

— It has been 50 years since the Cyprus peacekeeping operation and 61 years since the emergence of the Cyprus issue as a result of the usurpation of the partner state by the Greek Cypriots. Since that day, peace and tranquility have mostly reigned on the island. It is the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey who have always demonstrated a sincere desire to achieve a permanent and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue. The federal model has now completely lost its relevance.

— There are two separate states and two separate peoples on the island. The sovereign equality and equal international status of Turkish Cypriots must be confirmed, and isolation must be ended. I once again call on the international community to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and establish diplomatic, political and economic relations with it.

— The key role of Turkey, the country with the longest coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, in this region is undeniable. Turkey has rights to the established continental shelf to the north and west of the island of Cyprus, and the Turkish Cypriots have these rights to the area around the entire island.

Photo by Cyprus News Agency

A source:  evropakipr.com

https://russiancyprus.news/news/society/evropakipr.com_prezident-respubliki-kipr-polon-reshimosti-obedinit-ostrov-prezident-turcii-polagaet-chto/