Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Türkiye's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, addressed both bilateral cooperation and current regional issues during a joint press conference with Norway's Foreign Minister, Espen Bart Eide.

On Cyprus

Commenting on the Cyprus settlement, Fidan stated that the idea of a federation has lost its relevance:
"The federal model has outlived its usefulness. This approach was removed from the agenda by the Greek Cypriots themselves, regardless of the stance of the EU or Greece," Fidan said.

He emphasized that Ankara will continue to support the Turkish Cypriots within the framework of broad Turkic solidarity:

"The Turkic world will continue to present a united front in support of the Turkish Cypriots. We intend to pursue this policy steadily and patiently," he declared.

On the Turkic World

Fidan reminded that the idea of unity among Turkic peoples existed even during the Soviet era, and today, with the Turkic republics being independent states, it has gained new significance:

"Attempts to disrupt Türkiye's ties with Turkic countries are doomed to fail," he stressed.

On the Eastern Mediterranean

Regarding the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea, Fidan shared that Türkiye has completed the preparation of its national maritime spatial plan:

"We have developed a maritime zoning plan for the Aegean Sea and intend to submit it to the relevant UN bodies," the Turkish Foreign Minister announced.