Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday that any Cyprus settlemen...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday that any Cyprus settlement that does not recognize the "sovereign equality and equal international status" of Turkish Cypriots is doomed to fail. The remarks came on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, where Erdogan addressed world leaders before sitting down with Guterres to discuss regional and international issues. Erdogan made clear Turkey will not back any proposal that falls short of formal recognition for the Turkish Cypriot side, effectively rejecting the internationally recognized framework of a reunified Cyprus under a bizonal, bicommunal federation. Cyprus has been divided since Turkey's military invasion in 1974, which resulted in the occupation of the island's northern third. The Republic of Cyprus and the international community, including the EU and the UN, do not recognize a separate Turkish Cypriot state. Erdogan's position, repeated at the highest diplomatic level, signals Turkey has no intention of softening its stance as long as full political equivalence for Turkish Cypriots is off the table. The UN has attempted multiple rounds of negotiations over the decades, all of which have collapsed. The last major effort, at Crans-Montana in 2017, ended without agreement after Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot administration rejected a deal that fell short of guaranteeing permanent Turkish troop presence and political equality. #Cyprus #Turkey #UnitedNations