Turkish president decries ‘unjust isolation’ of Turkish Cypriots at UN General Assembly

ISTANBUL

In his address to the UN General Assembly, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted the “unjust isolation” of Turkish Cypriots, saying the international community must put an end to this half-century practice.

Erdogan noted that the island of Cyprus has two states and two peoples and that “the Turkish Cypriots will not accept being a minority,” reiterating his call from the last three UN General Assemblies for “the international community to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and to establish diplomatic, political, and economic relations with it.”

He said Türkiye wants to see the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean as a “basin of stability,” respecting all parties’ legitimate interests and ready for constructive cooperation.

• Calls for peace

The Turkish president said there are “no winners in war, no losers in a just peace,” vowing to “continue efforts for a ceasefire” in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Through direct talks, we facilitated the exchange (between the sides) of numerous prisoners and bodies, and we worked to identify the modalities of peace negotiations between the parties,” Erdogan said.

He also stressed the need to stop the bloodshed in Sudan, saying that establishing a sustainable peace is the “shared responsibility of the international community,” and that efforts will continue for this goal.

Erdogan expressed his satisfaction with the ceasefire between Pakistan and India this April, saying: “It is important to see cooperation between the two countries when it comes to counter-terrorism.”

“The issue of Kashmir should be resolved on the basis of UN resolutions for the best for our brothers and sisters in Kashmir through dialogue, we hope,” he said.

• Stability and strengthening relations

On the process in Syria in the wake of the overthrow of the Assad regime last December, Erdogan said: “As stability takes root in Syria, there is no doubt that the winners will be the Syrian people, along with all neighboring countries and our entire region.”

“With the December 8 revolution, our Syrian brothers and sisters opened the doors to a new era,” he said, expressing his belief that “the people of Syria who fought against a bloodthirsty regime will also be able to carry the victory they achieved at great cost to its rightful place, God willing.”

The Turkish president extended his support to a vision of a unified Syria free of any form of terrorism, especially ISIS (Daesh).

On Iran, Erdogan said he hopes that the nuclear issue will be resolved through diplomacy as soon as possible, stressing that the region “cannot tolerate yet another crisis.”

On the importance of Iraq’s stability, security, and prosperity, Erdogan said Türkiye attaches great importance to strategic moves such as the Development Road Project.

In addition, he hailed the steps Azerbaijan and Armenia took to “enable the establishment of lasting peace between the two countries,” congratulating Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Premier Nikol Pashinyan, and US President Donald Trump, “who contributed to this process.”

Erdogan also said the normalization process between Türkiye and Armenia is progressing as planned.

The Turkish president also expressed hope that the resolution of the conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia will continue within the scope of the Ankara process and that the parties will “successfully conclude this genuine initiative as soon as possible.”

Türkiye is strengthening relations with its NATO ally the US, the UN’s host nation, across many areas, he said, “especially trade, investment, energy, and the defense industry.”

• ‘A more just world is possible’

The Turkish president reiterated his calls for a better world, one fairer and more just, stating that “Türkiye will patiently continue its struggle to build a more just world.”

He said that until a system in which the “righteous are powerful, not the powerful righteous” is established, Türkiye will continue to say that the “world is bigger than five.”

Erdogan said his statements reflect his sincere belief that it is “our shared responsibility to take steps that will restore the founding spirit of the UN in its 80th year,” emphasizing that it is “our duty is not to abandon the system, but rather to repair it and to make it work again.”

• Future of humanity

Besides conflicts and regional tensions, Erdogan also highlighted overlooked global issues, such as artificial intelligence and the family.

“Artificial intelligence technologies should be used for the benefit of humanity, not as a new tool of domination,” he said.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Turkish president also said that the institution of family is under threat “as never before” and vowed that Türkiye will continue to defend it.