President of the Greek Cypriot administration Nikos Christodoulides harshly criticized Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a speech at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Christodoulides referred to Erdoğan’s remarks at the UN a day earlier on international law, the sovereignty of states, territorial integrity, occupation and refugees.
Arguing that Türkiye applies the opposite of these principles on Cyprus, Christodoulides criticized Ankara over its military presence in the northern part of the island and claimed that Türkiye’s policies contradicted Erdoğan’s rhetoric.

Christodoulides said Türkiye had maintained a military presence in northern Cyprus since 1974 and described this as a violation of international law. Türkiye, for its part, says the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation was carried out to ensure the security of the Turkish Cypriot community.
The president of the Greek Cypriot administration also addressed Syria, criticizing the presence of Turkish troops there.
Christodoulides also called for negotiations to resume within the framework of UN parameters to resolve the Cyprus issue.
Views differ between the parties on Cyprus
While Ankara argues that the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people must be guaranteed, Christodoulides said a bicommunal, bizonal federation should form the basis for a solution.
Christodoulides directly addressed President Erdoğan and called for comprehensive negotiations to resume under the UN framework.