President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Turkey believes the most realistic way to resolve political deadlock over Cyprus is to have two states on the ethnically-split island.

Erdogan was speaking alongside Tufan Erhurman, the newly-elected Turkish Cypriot president who has pledged to explore a federal solution – long supported by the United Nations – to end the island’s nearly 50-year-old division.

Turkey, the only country which recognises the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and former Turkish Cypriot president Ersin Tatar have backed a two-state policy, which was ruled out by Greek Cypriots.

“The Greek Cypriot side sees the solution for Cyprus as reducing Turkish Cypriots to a minority status in a partnership state that is now defunct,” Erdogan said, adding he mai

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