Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli said the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state should hold a parliamentary vote to join Türkiye, two days after Turkish Cypriots elected a candidate in favour of restarting talks with Greek Cypriots.
Bahceli, a key ally of President Tayyip Erdoğan whose remarks have at times foreshadowed government policy, on Tuesday dismissed calls for a federal solution on the ethnically split island and said "Cyprus is Turkish and the homeland of Turks".
The landslide victory of centre-left politician Tufan Erhurman as the next Turkish Cypriot president has offered hope in breaking an eight-year impasse in peace talks on the divided island of Cyprus, which has an internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government.
He has pledged to restart talks with Greek Cypriots.
Erdoğan congratulated the new leader following Sunday's election, but Bahceli's comments highlight the nationalist bloc's push for closer political and territorial alignment with Ankara.
"The TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) parliament must take a decision to join the Republic of Turkey," Bahceli told his parliamentary group on Tuesday, referring to the breakaway state, which is only recognised by Türkiye .
"The fate of Turkish Cypriots cannot be represented through this level of participation," he said of Sunday's vote.
"There is no validity or future for federation proposals. Cyprus is our national cause and there is absolutely no turning back from this just cause."
Erdoğan and Bahceli, while not of the same political party, have been in a governing alliance since 2018.
Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup, and relations between ethnic Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been strained since peace talks collapsed in 2017.
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Turkish police have detained 357 suspects in a nationwide operation targeting Islamic State, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday, following a deadly clash with suspected militants a day earlier.
The head of Yemen’s Presidential Council, Rashad al-Alimi, has ordered all forces linked to the United Arab Emirates to leave Yemen within 24 hours.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 30th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire and former Chelsea Football Club owner, has assembled a “top tier” legal team, including a former White House advisor, as he prepares for a legal battle in Jersey.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday praised the country’s armed forces as “invincible warriors” during a year-end ceremony honouring the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, held in the coastal city of La Guaira.
Iran successfully launched three satellites on Sunday using a Russian Soyuz rocket from Russia’s Far East, marking the latest stage in growing Iran-Russia space cooperation.
Türkiye on Sunday denied reports that a Turkish Airlines passenger flight diverted from Libya due to fears of retaliation following a Libyan military delegation plane crash near Ankara.
Torrential rainfall across southern and eastern Spain over the weekend has left one person dead and two others missing, authorities said on Sunday evening, as overflowing riverbeds swept away vehicles and officials urged residents to stay indoors.
A technical incident occurred between the ASCO-owned tanker Kalbajar and the Turkish-flagged tanker Alatepe in waters off Istanbul, according to the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Closed Joint-Stock Company (ASCO).
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the situation in Ukraine, during which he said Russian forces were making progress on several fronts, according to statements released by the Kremlin.
Latvia has completed construction of its border fence with Russia, marking a major step in strengthening national and EU external border security. Authorities say work will now focus on expanding surveillance technology and additional infrastructure along the eastern border.
The head of Yemen’s Presidential Council, Rashad al-Alimi, has ordered all forces linked to the United Arab Emirates to leave Yemen within 24 hours.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 30th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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