The United Nations Security Council has extended the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in the Island of Cyprus (UNFICYP) for a period of one year with its resolution 2674 (2023) adopted on 30 January 2023.

We fully support the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) concerning the resolution.

Despite the fact that they are not included in the reports of the United Nations Secretary-General, we observe that the Council, detached from the realities on the ground and disregarding the will of the TRNC towards a two-state settlement, insists on settlement models that have been tried and have failed many times. This situation is incompatible with common sense and goodwill, and shows that, instead of promoting a real settlement on the Island, the Council is unable to free itself from Greek Cypriot influence.

Once again, the UN Security Council has ignored the inhumane and illegal embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people. It is yet another contradiction that the resolution calls for cooperation between the two sides, disregarding the realistic, constructive and sincere cooperation proposals conveyed by TRNC President Mr. Ersin Tatar to the UN Secretary-General in his letters dated July 1 and 8, 2022, which could meet many needs of the Island.

We reject the points in the resolution regarding Maraş and reiterate that we fully support all activities that have been and will be carried out by the TRNC authorities in the area in respect of the rights of legal property owners and the benefit of the two peoples on the Island. We invite the Council to stop supporting the insincere attitude of the Greek Cypriot Administration, which aims to prevent Greek Cypriots who wish to return to their properties from doing so. We take this opportunity to emphasize once again that Maraş is TRNC territory.

The consent of the TRNC was once again not sought during UNFICYP’s mandate extension. It has been repeatedly put on record that this is contrary to established UN practice and that UNFICYP has been able to continue its activities due to the goodwill of the TRNC authorities. It is essential that UNFICYP continues its activities on TRNC territory on a legal basis. It should be known that we will fully support the steps to be taken by the TRNC authorities to this end.

A common ground towards a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus must be based on the realities on the ground. In this regard, we call on the Security Council and the international community, based on the fact that there are two separate peoples and two separate states on the Island of Cyprus, to reaffirm the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriots, namely their sovereign equality and equal international status, and to recognize the TRNC.