The Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Sunday that the presence of Turkish troops in Cyprus was aimed at maintaining the security of the Turkish Cypriot people.

Speaking at a briefing held by the ministry, Major Pınar Kara from the Turkish Defense Ministry’s press bureau said that Turkey continued to stand by the Turkish Cypriot people as a guarantor country.

“Turkey as a guarantor state, within the framework of its legitimate rights stemming from international agreements and international law, will continue to be the guarantee of peace and security in Cyprus,” she said.

Major Kara said that it had become evident that a solution cannot be possible in Cyprus unless the fact that there are two equal, sovereign and independent states in Cyprus is accepted.

She emphasized that Cyprus was a national cause for Turkey and that the Turkish Armed Forces will continue to defend the rights and interests of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.