North Nicosia, January 11,2026: The Greek Cypriot Administration’s assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union has been described as a fresh manifestation of the European Union’s long-standing distorted and biased approach to the Cyprus issue, according to a statement criticizing the bloc’s policies.
The statement said the continued disregard of the Turkish Cypriot people is not only politically unjust but also contradicts the fundamental principles and values the European Union claims to uphold.
Recalling historical developments, it noted that the Republic of Cyprus, established in 1960 as an equal partnership between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, lost its legitimacy in December 1963 following armed attacks by the Greek Cypriot side and the collapse of the constitutional order. Since then, the entity internationally treated as the “Republic of Cyprus” has, in practice, functioned as a Greek Cypriot administration, it added.
Despite this reality, the European Union admitted the Greek Cypriot Administration as a member in 2004, a move described as a violation of the EU’s own principles and legal framework, effectively making the bloc a party to the Cyprus dispute.
Instead of correcting what was termed a historic mistake, the EU has allowed the Greek Cypriot side to further consolidate its position within the Union. The assumption of the EU Council presidency by the Greek Cypriot Administration for a six-month term was cited as a direct consequence of this approach, which, according to the statement, encourages Greek Cypriot intransigence.
The statement emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot side has repeatedly demonstrated goodwill and a genuine commitment to a negotiated settlement. It stressed that the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people are not bargaining positions but essential foundations for any lasting solution.
For durable peace and stability on the island and in the Eastern Mediterranean, the statement called on the European Union to acknowledge its past mistake and recognize the free will of the Turkish Cypriot people by formally accepting their inherent sovereign equality and equal international status.
It concluded that as long as EU officials continue rhetoric detached from historical and present-day realities, and maintain a biased stance that disregards Turkish Cypriots while endorsing what were described as maximalist Greek Cypriot positions, the European Union will lack credibility in the eyes of the Turkish Cypriot people.
