ANTALYA, Türkiye

The security of the Eastern Mediterranean is a global issue, said the premier of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Friday.

"The safety of the Eastern Mediterranean is not an issue that only concerns coastal countries of the Eastern Mediterranean. It is a global issue," Prime Minister Unal Ustel told Anadolu on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF).

Unal described the geography as it "longs for peace and continues to burn in fire."

"The TRNC and Türkiye have an important geopolitical power. We are ready to use this power to serve global peace," he added.

Emphasizing that they will discuss the regional cooperation opportunities and global peace with his counterparts on all platforms, he said they will continue to eliminate "unfair embargoes and practices" that are "incompatible with human rights."

"Regarding the Cyprus problem, which has been going on for 60 years, we will reveal the contributions of a fair, permanent, and two-state solution to the Eastern Mediterranean geopolitics," he noted.

During the ADF, he said they would have the chance to listen to the opinions and suggestions of international experts on sustainable development, climate change, and combating other global problems.

Underlining that more than the efforts of a single country or organization are needed to achieve these goals, he expressed hope that the ADF would contribute to world peace and stability.

Cyprus issue

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation of the island led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece, and the UK.

The Greek Cypriot administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.

Türkiye fully supports a two-state solution on the island of Cyprus based on sovereign equality and equal international status.​​​​​​​

* Writing by Gozde Bayar