President Ersin Tatar and Cevdet Yılmaz, Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye, held a joint press conference at the Presidency.

The President expressed that he is very happy to once again be welcoming Vice President Yılmaz to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and to the Presidency.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, on behalf of my people, for his unwavering efforts to  secure the future with increased prosperity of the Turkish Cypriot People,” President Tatar said.

“I would also like to especially thank Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and his colleagues, who worked arduously to achieve the goals we determined together as two States," President Tatar said.  "As it is known, the fourth Five-Year Development Plan of the TRNC, covering the years 2025-2029, has now been launched. I am  hopefull that the plan introduced today following the work carried out with Motherland Türkiye, will yield positive results and benefit our people.”

Stating that the Turkish Cypriot People have been subjected to “inhumane isolation for 62 years” and that their “human rights have been trampled upon through this oppression,” President Tatar said: “We will never give up our struggle to coexist in peace as good neighbours, in a cooperative relationship”.

President Tatar emphasised: “Despite all the pressures, our people exercised their national will and proclaimed the TRNC in 1983. This State exists with all its own institutions. Turkish Cypriot people continue to resist the isolationist and oppressive policy of the Greek Cypriot leadership. It is pivotal that we as Turkish Cypriots continue our strong bonds and solidarity with Türkiye. There will be those who will try to break our ties with Motherland Türkiye as well as destroy our unity and solidarity within ourselves. Our people have given the necessary response in the past to these attempts, and I have full faith that they would also do it in the future,” President Tatar said.

Stating that the “Turkish Cypriots are a peaceful People,” President Tatar stressed that the “Turkish Cypriot Side gives importance to solving existing problems through dialogue and diplomacy. With this understanding, I continue my dialogue with the Greek Cypriot leader with the strength and support I receive from my people.”

Pointing out that he had met the Greek Cypriot leader at an informal dinner hosted by the UN Secretary-General on October 15, 2024 in New York, President Tatar said: “Following the dinner, the conclusion was shared in the form of a written statement by the Secretary-General, which confirmed that there were three outcomes.  The first was the determination that there was no common ground between the parties to start a new and formal political process. The Secretary-General had based this determination according to the report of his former Personal Envoy, Ms. Holguin, and underlined the differences between the two Sides.   Secondly, the Secretary-General announced that he would organise an informal meeting in a broader format, that would be attended by the two Sides in Cyprus, the two Motherlands, Türkiye and Greece, and also the UK, which would be represented at a lower level as one of the Guarantor powers.   Thirdly, the Secretary-General also announced that we, as the two Leaders, agreed to come together on the island with the agenda of exploring the possibility of opening new crossing points.”

President Tatar noted that the details with regards to the informal meeting to be held in a broader format in mid-March in Switzerland will probably become clearer following the contacts with Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, who will be paying a visit to the Island of Cyprus to carry out preparations for the meeting.

Stating that he will meet with DiCarlo on February 10, President Tatar said: “We will share information with the public when the exact dates, location and details are clear.”

In reference to his recent meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader on January 20, President Tatar said: “I made two new tangible proposals. The opening of a crossing point in Haspolat to the East of Lefkoşa, and Akıncılar – Limbya, which is my standing proposal. We are continuing our constructive approach and arduous efforts to open new crossing points that will be of benefit to both the Turkish Cypriot People and the Greek Cypriot People.”

President Tatar stated that there are at present nine crossing points between the two Sides, and stated that he proposed the opening of a crossing point in Haspolat exclusively for commercial and economic activities as well as general crossings and for the crossing point to be utilised to also increase trade volume under the Green Line Regulation, whilst also furthering people-to-people contacts.

“Opening of such a crossing point in Haspolat will also alleviate the traffic congestion and chaos experienced in Metehan – where 65 per cent of vehicle crossings took place last year,” the President said, adding “ there were a total of eight million crossings recorded last year”.

President Tatar added: “We made our recommendations in a sincere and constructive manner, whilst remaining in continuous consultation with the relevant parties, with full knowledge of the details and technical aspects.

“Is there congestion in Lefkoşa?  Yes, there is.

“Is it possible to deny this issue? No it is not.

“Based on this fact, is it necessary to relieve the congestion at the crossings in Lefkoşa? Yes, it is necessary.

“I discussed all this with the Greek Cypriot leader and explained our position. If there is sincerity, we should open a new crossing point near to Lefkoşa. In terms of efficiency, all relevant parties agree that this crossing point should be in the east of Lefkoşa. The Greek Cypriot leader does not oppose this crossing point, but he also expresses that he wants a response. I have explained our position clearly to him.  I stated the need for him to make a fresh new proposal on a crossing point so that we could evaluate it. I understand that he no longer wishes to do this.”

President Tatar added that the Greek Cypriot leader, like those before him, is “trying to portray transit corridors, which they have been talking about for the past 13 years, as being crossing points. However, transit corridors do not fit the definition of a crossing point. The Greek Cypriot leader is trying to make other gains under the guise of crossing points.  Wanting something that does not exist, something that has not existed for so many years, is nothing more than a lose-lose mentality. On top of all this, he packaged the elements we had talked about previously when I explained to him why those could not take place and  tried to create an image as if they were something new. I responded to him in the appropriate manner and have asked that we stick to the agreed agenda, which is to explore the possibility of opening new crossing points.”

The President added: “Despite this stubborn and insistent attitude of the Greek Cypriot leader, I put forward a new proposal, which is both significant and a compromise, for the opening of a crossing point in Akıncılar - Limbya, located close to his proposed transit passage. The opening of a crossing point in Akıncılar has been requested by the peoples of both sides for many years. I presented the Akıncılar crossing point for the first time as a counter proposal to the Greek Cypriot side. The expectation of the people in the region is that this crossing point will also be opened."

Stating that the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is continuing to develop on solid grounds,” President Tatar said that “a settlement can be reached on a two State basis following the reaffirmation of our sovereign equality and equal international status”.

“We cannot turn back from this point,”  President Tatar said.

President Tatar stated that he will probably meet with the Greek Cypriot leader next Friday (February 7). “I am proposing our next meeting to be next Friday because the day before (February 6), is the anniversary of the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye, when we lost our Champion Angels basketball team, and there will be many events organised to commemorate them and those who died in the earthquakes.  May they all rest in eternal peace. We have an agreement to hold a meeting, but the date and time are not clear as yet. . . we will meet with the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on the island, Colin Stewart, this Friday in preparation for next week's meeting.”

Turkish Vice President Yılmaz stressed that Türkiye “always supports the TRNC in its development” and said: "The innovative policies envisaged in many areas, from education to health, from infrastructure to agriculture, are steps that will strengthen the position of the TRNC in the international arena."

Stating that TRNC's development efforts are a part of the national cause, Vice President Yılmaz said: “We support a fair and permanent settlement to the Cyprus issue, which will guarantee the inherent rights and security of the Turkish Cypriot people. This can only be possible based on the facts on the Island. We fully support the two State settlement position put forward by President Tatar, which is being put forward based on the lessons learned from past unsuccessful experiences in the Cyprus issue and the realities on the Island.”