File photo
Turkey will never condone Turkish Cypriots becoming victims of a stalemate, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday.
In a joint press conference with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mustafa Akinci, on a visit to the TRNC, Erdoğan said: “We will never allow the Turkish Cypriots to become minorities in a Greek Cypriot state.”
“Cyprus is our national cause. Our goal is to find a just and lasting solution on Cyprus,” he added.
Erdoğan also said that Turkey aims to double the TRNC’s national income per capita by turning it into a center of attraction in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks, and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will attend a meeting of NATO heads of state and government this week in Brussels, the Turkish presidency announced on Tuesday.The summit is set to review steps to adapt NATO to current security threats, as well as exchange views on threats to Euro-Atlantic security, the presidency said in a written statement.A meeting of NATO heads of state and government will be held on Thursday and Friday at the new alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.In a session held with the attendance of Georgia and Ukraine’s heads of state, improving relations between NATO and those countries will be discussed.The alliance is also expected to affirm its support to Afghanistan.The summit is also set to affirm NATO’s “open-door policy” in the Euro-Atlantic region for peace and stability.Erdoğan is expected to held bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the summit's sidelines.
Erdoğan to attend 2-day NATO summit in Brussels
Newly sworn-in President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday during his first official overseas trip after taking an oath of office to become the Republic of Turkey's first executive president under its new governmental system."TANAP is a vital project for both us and Azerbaijan. It also carries importance in that it is a strategic investment," said Erdoğan.TANAP, which went live in June, is a natural gas pipeline stretching from the Turkish-Georgian border to the Turkish-Greek border to supply natural gas to both Turkey and also European countries.Erdoğan visits Azerbaijan on first trip abroad as executive presidentThe 1,850-kilometer pipeline is the largest section of the 3,500-kilometer Southern Gas Corridor, which was inaugurated on May 29 in Baku.Erdoğan said the project has great importance in terms of making a connection between Azerbaijan and Europe, besides the connection between Turkey and Azerbaijan.The president emphasized that Turkish-Azeri relations are strengthened on the basis of “one nation, two states,” referring to the Turkic roots of both.Galeri: Turkish President Erdoğan visits AzerbaijanHighlighting the strategic alliance between the two countries, Erdoğan noted that these projects will accelerate the prosperity of both countries.Erdoğan’s trip to Azerbaijan is his first state visit since Monday’s inauguration to a second term, under Turkey’s new presidential system of government, continuing the tradition of Turkey’s leaders first visiting Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) after taking office.Security measures stand out at FETÖ’s Pennsylvania campFight against FETÖErdoğan also highlighted Azerbaijan’s support for Turkey against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ).The Turkish president thanked Aliyev for his “support in the fight against FETÖ.”FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured. FETÖ is also behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
Erdoğan hails Turkey’s joint TANAP project with Azerbaijan
Erdogan’s trip to TRNC is his second state visit since his inauguration Monday to a second term, under Turkey’s new presidential system of government, continuing the tradition of Turkey’s leaders first visiting Azerbaijan and the TRNC after taking office.
Turkey officially switched to a new presidential system of government after Erdoğan on Monday was sworn in as the Republic of Turkey's first president under its new government system.
His June 24 re-election marked Turkey's transition to an executive presidential system of government, doing away with the prime minister's post, among other changes.
Erdoğan won an absolute majority in the presidential election with 52.5 percent of the vote, according to Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK).