Turkey in favor of unconditional solution to Cyprus issue

Turkey is supporting the immediate resumption of peace talks between Turkish and Greek Cypriots, said the UN Geneva representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Ayda Soylu made the comments as part of the annual report on the human rights situation in Cyprus, which was presented during the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

"The lack of finding a solution to the Cyprus issue is deeply affecting human rights in the TRNC," said Soylu.

She stated that discrimination and violence against Turkish Cypriots was increasing.

Soylu added that the number of schools providing education in Turkish was insufficient in the island's south, while lawmakers had also banned Turkish names of geographical regions.

"Political and social rights of TRNC citizens have been illogically rejected," said Soylu.

"Turkey fully supports the immediate resumption and the rapid conclusion of UN-led peace talks," she said, adding that Turkey hopes that the Greek side holds similar views.

Negotiations between Turkish and Greek-Cypriots had resumed after a two-year pause in February 2013 with a joint declaration outlining the details of a federal state re-uniting the island after the previous round collapsed partly because of the Eurozone debt crisis.

However, the Greek Cypriot administration suspended the most recent talks on October 7 after Turkey sent a ship to explore for oil and gas off the coast of the island.

Cyprus has remained divided into Greek and Turkish parts since a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by a Turkish peace mission to aid Turkish Cypriots in the north in 1974.