EU Rejects Observer Status Of 'Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus'

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Nov 12 (KUNA) -- The European Union Saturday rejected the statements by Turkiye about the acceptance of the 'so-called, internationally not recognized, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus', (TRNC) as an observer in the Organization of Turkic States.
'This decision, pending ratification of Organization's members, is regrettable,' said EU spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, Peter Stano, in a statement.
'The EU has made it repeatedly clear, including at highest political level, that the EU recognizes only the Republic of Cyprus as a subject of international law, in accordance with the respective UN Security Council Resolutions,' he noted.
'Any action to facilitate or assist in any way the international recognition of Turkish Cypriot secessionist entity severely damages efforts to create an environment conducive to resuming settlement talks under the auspices of the United Nations,' said the EU statement.
The EU is fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality, in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, he stressed adding 'there is no alternative to it,'
On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that TRNC has become a non-member observer state to the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
TRNC President Ersin Tatar described the country becoming an observer member as a 'positive development.'
In 1974, Turkiye sent its troops to the northern Cypriot part following a following a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation of Cyprus.
The TRNC declared its independence in 1983 but is only recognized by Turkiye.
The Greek Cypriot part was accepted in the European Union in 2004, but not the TRNC.
The Organization of Turkic States, established in 2009, is an international organization including Turkic countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. (end)
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