Greek Cypriots not displayed any act of good-will

Speaking at a live program on the private TV8 Channel late on Thursday, Prime Minister Erdogan stressed that they wanted the Cyprus issue to reach a fair and lasting solution.

Upon a question about his meeting with President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Prime Minister Erdogan said, "we held a very positive meeting. President Denktas has been taking part in this process from the very beginning. Therefore, the process should continue and end with President Denktas."

"According to my point of view, it is not right to inform the public opinion on all details of the developments in the negotiation process. If we brief the public opinion on all details, we will mislead and affect the negotiation process negatively," he said.

Emphasizing that they wanted TRNC to become a country recognized by the whole world, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "the bi-zonal structure of the island should be further strengthened. The Greek Cypriot side has not displayed any acts of good-will so far in the negotiation process aiming to find a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue. They have still been trying to postpone finding a solution."

"There are international agreements. These agreements are binding. No one can ignore them. Also, no one can isolate himself from the rest of the world. Meanwhile, we are obliged to protect interest of both Turkey and TRNC. We should maintain our efforts without ignoring our national interests," he added.