Erdoğan tells United Nations General Assembly that Federal Model solution to the Cyprus problem is no longer relevant

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday Sept. 24 where he reiterated his call for the official recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), stating, “The federal model has lost its relevance”.

US President Joe Biden delivered the opening address, calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in what was his final speech at the UN as President. Following Biden, Erdoğan took the floor, with his speech primarily focused on Israeli attacks.

Devoting much of his address to the situation in Gaza, Erdoğan compared the Netanyahu administration in Israel to “Hitler“. He emphasised that Turkey wants to see the Eastern Mediterranean as a region of prosperity, where the legitimate interests of all involved parties are respected. “The delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in accordance with international law and the development of cooperation, particularly on security and maritime trade, are in the interests of the entire region”, he added.

Erdoğan also reflected on the 50 years since Turkey’s military intervention in Cyprus and the 61 years since Turkish Cypriots left the Republic of Cyprus. He said,  “Since that time, peace and stability have prevailed on the island. The parties consistently demonstrating a sincere commitment to achieving a just, permanent, and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue have always been the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey. The federal model has completely lost its validity. There are two separate states and two distinct peoples on the island. The sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriots must be reaffirmed, and the isolation must end”.

He concluded with a renewed appeal to the international community: “Today, I once again call on the international community to recognise the TRNC and establish diplomatic, political, and economic relations”.