For the Turkish minority in western Thrace and for expatriates in the Dodecanese, the Hakan Fidan to the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Turkish National Assembly, emphasizing that they are a priority of the Turkish government, as reported by SKAI’s correspondent in Istanbul, Manolis Kostidis.

“The situation of its Turkish minority Western Thrace and of our expatriates who live in Dodecanese it is one of the issues we prioritize. We are closely monitoring the issues of protecting the rights of our expatriates in areas such as education, religious freedoms and the management of institutions, which are guaranteed by the Lausanne Peace Treaty and international agreements”, emphasized the Turkish Foreign Minister and continued with reference to the Cypriot:

“We are passing 60 years since its emergence Cyprus. The key to a just, permanent and sustainable solution to the issue based on the realities on the island is the recording of the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, their sovereign equality and equal international status. If there is to be a negotiation, it will be between two states, not between two communities, and the status of both parties will be equalized before they sit down at the negotiating table.”

“We will continue to sensitively protect our rights and interests in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. We want to promote our relations with our neighbor Greece through an honest and constructive dialogue based on a positive agenda”, he added.