Turkey will never abandon its rights as a "guarantor" power on Cyprus, even if a peace deal is signed between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders later this year, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said on Monday, Reuters reported.
Cicek was speaking in northern Cyprus on the 35th anniversary of Turkey's invasion of the island, which took place five days after a brief Greek-inspired coup.
Turkey justified its military intervention by its status as a guarantor power, with Greece and Britain, under the 1960 treaty that gave Cyprus its independence from London.
The guarantor rights -- effectively meaning that any of the three can intervene to restore constitutional order -- are a key sticking issue in slow-moving peace talks between the Greek and Turkish communities on the divided island.
"Only a solution that reflects the realities of two peoples and two states is possible. It must also include Turkey's effective guarantor rights," Cicek said. "Turkey will never renege on its guarantor obligations."