2 December 2016, 06:52 GMT
ANKARA (Sputnik) — Turkish soldiers are in Cyprus indefinitely and there is no discussion of their withdrawal, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday.
"Turkey will remain in Cyprus. For the Turkish military to leave Cyprus is entirely out of the question," Erdogan said in remarks broadcast by Turkey's NTV station.
"Northern Cyprus demonstrates a sincere position at talks. Greece should not expect a solution to the problem of the island without Turkey as a guarantor country," he stressed.
The Cyprus reunification talks with the participation of Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades started in Geneva on Monday. On Wednesday, the two sides exchanged maps outlining the areas of control for Greek and Turkish communities.
