NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus welcomed Somalia’s renewed position on the Cyprus dispute after a controversial social media post sparked controversy among Cypriots.
The Cypriot government said Somalia’s policy remains unchanged and follows international law, the U.N. Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions, Gotsis said.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said Somalia reaffirmed respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus under international law.
He said Cyprus emphasizes respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity and expects other governments to uphold the same principle consistently abroad.
Gotsis said adherence to international law, the U.N. Charter, sovereignty and territorial integrity remains central to Cyprus’ foreign policy toward states worldwide.
He added Cyprus would continue diplomatic efforts to protect its interests, international status and sovereign rights during discussions with Somalia and others.
The response came hours after Somalia’s Foreign Ministry said Parliament Speaker Abdiqadir Mohamed Nur’s post did not change government policy toward Cyprus.
The dispute began Aug. 17, when Nur posted on X thanking Ziya Öztürkler for congratulating him after his election as speaker then.
Nur later deleted the post, which called Öztürkler speaker of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” the administration’s official name there itself.
The wording drew attention in Cyprus because the title is used by the Turkish Cypriot administration governing the island’s northern part officially.
Somalia’s Foreign Ministry said the post was personal communication and should not be interpreted as a change in official policy toward Cyprus.
The ministry said the communication neither reflected nor represented any change in Somalia’s foreign policy toward Cyprus or its established position officially.
It also said Somalia had not recognized any separate administration in northern Cyprus and had made no decision to alter its position.
The ministry reaffirmed Somalia’s respect for sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Cyprus, citing U.N. Security Council resolutions 541 and 550.
Resolution 541, adopted in 1983, called on countries not to recognize any Cypriot state other than the Republic of Cyprus, reinforcing status.
Resolution 550, adopted in 1984, reaffirmed that position and urged states not to recognize or assist the northern administration in Cyprus.
Northern Cyprus declared independence in 1983 and is recognized only by Turkey, while the Republic of Cyprus remains the internationally recognized government.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish forces entered the north following a coup backed by Greece’s military government that year.
The internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus controls the south, while Turkish Cypriot authorities administer the north and U.N. peacekeepers patrol buffer zone.
The developments come as the United Nations seeks to revive negotiations aimed at resolving Cyprus’ decades-old division after talks collapsed in 2017.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres visited Cyprus in July, meeting leaders from both sides to assess prospects for restarting negotiations and advancing talks.
Somalia has said it supports a peaceful, negotiated and lasting solution to the Cyprus dispute through a U.N.-led process acceptable to all.