Türkiye criticized the European Union on Monday following the European Commission's appointment of a new special representative for the island of Cyprus, accusing the bloc of maintaining a biased approach to the decades-old dispute.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said Ankara views the appointment as an internal matter of the European Union, as it has with previous appointments.
However, Keçeli argued that the EU lost its neutrality on the Cyprus issue when it admitted the Greek Cypriot administration as a member in 2004 despite its rejection of the U.N.-backed Annan Plan.
He also accused EU institutions, including the European Parliament, of continuing with a one-sided approach to the issue.
Keçeli said Ankara expects the newly appointed envoy to work toward changing the EU's position and to recognize that a lasting settlement can only be achieved through negotiations between "two sovereignly equal states" based on the realities on the island.
Türkiye supports a two-state solution for the island, while the United Nations continues to back a federal settlement framework.
