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Turkey proposes solutions to the Cyprus issue

Turkey is ready to negotiate a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem, if reunification talks between two sides fail and no agreement is reached over the establishment of a joint commission on gas resources on the island, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

“We have three paths ahead … The U.N. mission should be accelerated and the sides should talk on a comprehensive solution and the resources should belong to a united Cyprus. A new state, which Turks are a part of, should be able to use them,” he said.

U.N. envoy to Cyprus Alexander Downer had said earlier this month that a bid to restart stalled talks to reunify the divided island would only happen after the country concluded negotiations with prospective international creditors for a rescue loan that it needs in order not to go bankrupt.

“If this does not happen, then two sides should establish a body over the usage of resources that should jointly manage the marketing and extracting. The fund should be blocked in an account and should be used for peace process and the period after peace,” Davutoğlu said, referring to reunification talks.

“If these do not happen and Greek Cyprus says ‘the resources are ours’ then it means tacitly that Turkish Cypriots own the resources in the north. If they behave according to this claim, we are ready to negotiate a two-state solution. Then these two states will meet in the EU,” Davutoğlu said.

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