Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his country's readiness to negotiate and guarantee peace in Cyprus, stating that "a federal solution is no longer possible in the island divided since 1974." In a speech during an event marking the 50th anniversary of the military "peace operation" in Cyprus, Erdogan said: "No solution can be reached by ignoring the facts in Cyprus, and we believe that a federal solution is not feasible on the island."
He added: "We are ready for negotiations and meetings to ensure lasting peace, and the solution in Cyprus does not ignore any efforts aimed at solving issues on the island." He further remarked: "The Turkish Cypriots and Turkey are the only two sides that have shown the will to reach a solution on the island and have made sacrifices and taken risks for that purpose... I hope to see the days when the guarantor state leaders will jointly visit both states (in Cyprus)."
Erdogan emphasized that "Turkey will maintain the atmosphere of peace and tranquility that it established in Cyprus 50 years ago and will not allow any harm to come to it," stressing Turkey's ongoing support for Northern Cyprus.
