The minister believes that the United States and the European Union "do not want" the existence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, much less recognition of the republic.
"They want to make Northern Cyprus part of the EU... If the Turkish Cypriots disappear and Turkey leaves the island, the rich gas and oil fields will come under the control of the EU and America. They are already trying to develop gas fields on the southern Cyprus shelf, where there are billions of tons of gas and oil. Thus, they will never recognize the TRNC and will do everything possible to ensure that the republic is not recognized," Arikli told Ulusal TV.
According to him, the authorities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have already developed a thesis to counter this.
"We say that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus must exist, even if it is not recognized. And if we no longer have the opportunity to survive, then we will find an alternative. What alternative? The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will then, like the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, be dependent on the homeland [Turkiye] in foreign policy and security issues. In internal affairs we will remain completely independent. An alternative to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is an autonomous Turkish republic," Arikli told the Ulusal Kanal broadcaster.
Cyprus has been de facto divided between the Greek and Turkish communities since 1974 following Turkiye's military invasion, triggered by a coup d'état in Cyprus and an attempt to annex the island to Greece. Thirty-seven percent of the island's territory, where the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was declared in 1983, remains occupied. Only Turkiye recognizes the TRNC. Negotiations between the Greek and Turkish communities for reunification, mediated by the UN, were interrupted after the failure of the latest round in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in 2017. Efforts are currently being made to resume talks.
Greek Cypriots believe that the Cyprus problem can only be solved based on UN resolutions within the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation. Turkish Cypriots have advocated for a confederation of Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has stated that he will not return to the negotiating table until equal sovereignty and international status for Turkish Cypriots are recognized.
The necessity of resuming negotiations for resolving the Cyprus issue was raised by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 11 on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington.