Turkish Cypriots should be granted equal rights with the Greek half of the ethnically divided island before reunification talks can begin, Turkish parliamentary speaker Mustafa Sentop told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2019) Turkish Cypriots should be granted equal rights with the Greek half of the ethnically divided island before reunification talks can begin, Turkish parliamentary speaker Mustafa Sentop told Sputnik.
"In order to launch another round of the talks concerning the settlement of the Cyprus issue it is important to consider as the basis the equality of citizenship of the Turkish people in Northern Cyprus," he said.
Sentop accused the internationally-recognized Cypriot government of treating Turks in Northern Cyprus as a "second class." Until they get political equality any talks will be "playing with time," he argued.
Only Ankara recognizes the northern republic as an independent state. It split away in 1974 when Turkey invaded the island following a coup by Greek Cypriots. UN-backed attempts to unite Cyprus have not been successful so far.
