Turkey said North Cyprus will not enter into negotiations with Greek Cypriot if they dont agree to political equality

Turkey has called on the Greek Cypriot side to either agree to political equality or a new negotiation process will start for a two state solution.

The Turkish foreign ministry on Thursday said that resumption of the procedure for reunification tals did not mean things would start from where they left off in Switzerland in 2017, arguing that there was no common ground and vision for a solution between the two sides on the island.

All past negotiation processes, it said, failed due to the fact that the Greek Cypriot side has not accepted the political equality, which is a requirement for a partnership on the island and that it could not be defined in a concrete way.

The underlying reason is the Greek Cypriot’s unwillingness to share both power and natural wealth with the Turkish Cypriot side, the ministry said.

If a partnership is still desired on the island, it said, political equality, as a principle requirement, should be recognised in advance by the Greek Cypriot side with its entire elements. 

If this cannot be done, then the two sides should start a new negotiation process over a two state solution on the basis of sovereign equality,” the Turkish foreign ministry said. It added that the idea of holding an informal 5+UN meeting, which was proposed by Turkey last year, aims at clarifying these issues.

Otherwise, … Turkey will not enter into a new negotiation process with dubious grounds and methods that failed in the past.

Guterres said on Wednesday that right after the elections in the north, he intends on convening again the “the five key partners, the guarantors and the two communities and to also restart a dialogue with the leaders of the two communities in the follow‑up of the dinner that I had with them in Berlin a few months ago.”