“A federation will not be negotiated in Cyprus,” Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in an interview broadcast live on 24 TV.

He also said that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will be granted an observer status at the Turkic States Council.

Çavuşoğlu said that the criteria for membership and observer status had been determined at the 8th Turkic States Organisation opening the way for the TRNC’s status.

He pointed out that the Greek Cypriot side was deliberately delaying a settlement on the island.

“The Greek Cypriot side’s intention is to delay the talks for another ten years claiming that neither Turkey nor the TRNC will make any concessions on Maraş or the Eastern Mediterranean once official talks begin,” Çavuşoğlu said, adding that the Turkish side had run out of patience.

“We are done with all this. Crans Montana was the last attempt to negotiate a federal settlement in Cyprus. We shall not negotiate a federal settlement anymore,” he stressed.