Turkish Deputy PM rejects population ratios as basis for Cyprus solution

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes rejected the idea of using current population ratios on the island as the basis for any political solution for Cyprus.

Turkes who is responsible for Cyprus affairs, claimed the Turkish proposal for Cyprus is "to secure and create a new, proper federal state with two equal communities. This is the right choice. The current population ratios mean nothing. This cannot be accepted."

The Turkish Deputy Prime Minister made the statements during an event in London over the weekend, which was attended by Turkish Cypriots, diplomats and representatives of Turkish NGOs.

During the event he also criticised the decision by the UN to have a ‘forced ‘meeting over the Cyprus issue in Crans-Montana, Switzerland this month.

"A meeting is again held at Crans-Montana - forcibly. I have to use this expression 'forcibly', by the UN," He said the Greek-Cypriot community, "as a member of the EU, which it has unfairly acquired, considers itself the main body [of the new cooperative]. It considers that it can judge who will join and who will not [in the new cooperative] and describes the Turkish Cypriot community as a minority. That is the problem. [The problem] starts there,’’ added Turkes.