Turkey hosts Turkish Cypriot parliament head

By Enes Kaplan, Abdullah Yasin Güler

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday received Onder Sennaroglu, speaker of the parliament of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

A 45-minute meeting was held at the presidential complex in Ankara with the attendance of Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop.

Sennaroglu and his delegation later met Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay at the presidential complex.

Oktay expressed his pleasure to host Sennaroglu in Ankara for the first time after he was elected speaker on Jan. 18.

He said that TRNC's parliament has a crucial role in carrying out projects that will better the lives of Turkish Cypriots.

Sennaroglu expressed his pleasure at visiting Ankara and praised Turkey's role in the development of the TRNC.

"We are grateful on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot people,” he said.

Speaking about the Cyprus talks in Geneva, he said Turkish Cypriots defended a two-state solution based on sovereign equality.

He also stressed the importance of Turkey becoming a “de facto guarantor” if a solution to the decades-long dispute on the island of Cyprus is reached.