The President’s Special Representative Ergün Olgun has said that the statement made by the lead Spokesperson on EU’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the observer status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) at the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) demonstrated the insincerity of the European Union.

In a written statement issued on Thursday, President Ersin Tatar’s Special Representative Ergün Olgun slammed the EU for its recent statement on the granting of observer status to the TRNC by the Organisation of Turkic states.

He reminded that the Greek Cypriots, in violation of the constitution of the 1960 partnership state as well as international treaties had expelled Turkish Cypriots from the state mechanism through the force of arms.

“Let us remind everyone that the 1960 Republic of Cyprus has been transformed into a Greek Cypriot state and as a result Turkish Cypriots are being subjected to inhumane embargoes,” he said.

Olgun added that despite the fact that the UN recognised South Cyprus as the ‘legitimate’ government on the island, the Greek Cypriot administration was in violation of international law and fundamental EU principles.

He pointed out that the EU, despite the absence of a solution of the Cyprus Problem, despite the objections of Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriot side and despite failing to seek the approval of the Turkish Cypriots in violation of the 1960 Cyprus constitution was admitted into the bloc as a full member.

“This situation is a disgrace on behalf of the EU,” Olgun said.

The special representative pointed out that despite having voted against the UN sponsored Annan Plan, and despite the absence of consent of one of the two equal partners on the island, allowing the Greek Cypriot side to join the bloc, served to expand its comfort zone and the continuation of the status quo on the island.

“It is due to the concessions listed that all efforts to reach a federal settlement have proved unsuccessful. As a result the reason why a lasting, sustainable and realistic solution has not been found in Cyprus, is not as the spokesman claims to be the efforts of the TRNC to see international recognition but the inequality deepened by the EU by allowing the Greek Cypriots to join the block on behalf of the whole island,” he said.

Olgun added that efforts to place the blame of all the problems experienced on the shoulders of the Turkish Cypriot side and Türkiye is a classic example of the Turkish proverb, “A clever, brazen scoundrel can make others believe that he is completely innocent and the person he has wronged is guilty.”

The president’s special representative also reminded that the EU has failed to fulfil the promises it had made to the Turkish Cypriot people, making the EU a part of the problem and constituting the biggest obstacle to a fair settlement on the island based on equality.

“The decision by the Organisation of Turkic States to admit the TRNC as an observer member, serves to correct the unjust imbalance on the island between the two sides and help achieve a settlement based on sovereign equality,” he said, adding that the Turkish Cypriot side, with the support of motherland Türkiye will continue to work for a win-win solution on the island based on the sovereign equality and international equal status of the two sides which will bring peace, stability and cooperation to the region.