IKV and KCI Chairperson Dr. Ayhan Zeytinoğlu issued a statement on the 52nd anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, underlining its significance in ensuring peace on the island and safeguarding the existence of the Turkish Cypriot community, while also criticising the EU’s approach to the Cyprus issue. Dr. Zeytinoğlu stated:

“On the 52^nd anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, we respectfully commemorate the martyrs and veterans who sacrificed their lives to ensure peace on the island and to protect the security and existence of the Turkish Cypriot people. We also honour the government and Prime Minister who took the historic decision to launch the operation. By preventing the implementation of plans to annex Cyprus to Greece, the Cyprus Peace Operation played a decisive role in safeguarding the continued existence of the Turkish Cypriot community on the island.

Over the years, numerous efforts have been made under UN auspices to establish a federal settlement, yet none has produced a lasting solution. The most significant initiative was the Annan Plan, which was submitted to simultaneous referendums in both the north and south of the island on 24 April 2004. While a majority of Turkish Cypriots approved the plan, it was rejected by the Greek Cypriot community. Nevertheless, on 1 May 2004, the Greek Cypriot Administration was admitted to the European Union as representing the entire island. Despite rejecting the federal solution that the EU itself had supported—and thereby acting contrary to the values the Union claimed to uphold—the Greek Cypriot Administration was granted membership, while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) remained subject to isolation.

Günter Verheugen, the European Commissioner for Enlargement at the time, later acknowledged that he had been misled by the Greek Cypriot side and pledged to take steps to remedy the injustice. However, despite this admission, no meaningful initiative was undertaken to end the isolation of the TRNC. This unjust and inequitable approach has also negatively affected Türkiye-EU relations, creating obstacles in areas ranging from the accession negotiations to the modernisation of the Customs Union. We call on the European Union to abandon this unfair approach. The negotiations held in Crans-Montana in 2017 also failed due to the uncompromising position of the Greek Cypriot side. Taken together, these developments demonstrate that a federal solution is no longer a realistic option. Following the Cyprus Peace Operation and the establishment of the TRNC, stability has been maintained on the island.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has completed its positive technical assessment of the Greek Cypriot Administration’s preparations for joining the Schengen Area and has announced that the issue will be discussed by the Council of the European Union in September, where Member States will take the final political decision. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also recently expressed her support for the Greek Cypriot Administration’s swift accession to the Schengen Area during a meeting in Paris and announced the appointment of Raffaele Fitto as the EU’s Special Representative for the Cyprus issue. These developments suggest that the EU is moving towards a new period of deadlock without first addressing the underlying problems in its neighbourhood. Under these circumstances, a two-state solution represents the most realistic approach to ensuring lasting peace and stability on the island. We therefore call on the European Union to abandon its one-sided approach to Cyprus and acknowledge the reality by recognising the existence of the TRNC.”