CYPRUS denounces Erdogan’s illegal visit to the occupied areas

According to an official press release, the Foreign Ministry denounced Erdogan`s illegal visit, through the Republic of Cyprus Permanent Representative at the UN in New York. The Permanent Representative Nicos Emiliou sent a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Samantha Power, the Permanent Representative of the US, which currently holds the presidency of the UN Security Council.

The letter informs the recipients about the illegality of Erdogan`s visit to the occupied areas and the unacceptable symbolic meaning attributed to it by Ankara.

It also refers to the statements made by Erdogan before and during his illegal visit, noting that “they undermine the climate, degrade any sense of confidence and vanish hopes and prospects for progress in talks on the Cyprus problem."

Moreover the letter underlines that Erdogan`s statements for the upgrading of the so-called “TRNC” at the international arena and that “TRNC” is a modern, democratic “state” constitute a sample of the obsolete and intransigent Turkish rhetoric.

This rhetoric aims at upgrading the secessionist entity at the occupied areas, against the International Law and the UN Security Council Resolutions on Cyprus, the press release added.

Moreover noted that the letter highlights the obvious contradiction between the actions and the rhetoric of the Turkish President and his country`s pursuit to become a non-permanent member of the Security Council.