President Tatar said that he held a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday, September 23, and other international actors, and he stressed to them all that it is imperative for the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot Side to be reaffirmed and acknowledged in order for  new and formal negotiations to be started.

Holding a press conference at the press conference room at the VIP salon at Ercan Airport, President Tatar, who was welcomed by the Speaker of Parliament Zorlu Töre, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and the Minister of Health Hakan Dinçyürek, said: “In the meeting with the Secretary-General, we explained that the Turkish Cypriot People have equal inherent rights in Cyprus, emanating from history and the co-founders of the Republic of Cyprus, which was established on the basis of equality.  The Greek Cypriot Side, which has usurped our rights, are not above us in terms of status. Turkish Cypriots are at the least as sovereign as Greek Cypriots with rights of self-determination. We explained our policy based on international law, and why federal based negotiations have been exhausted.  The Greek Cypriot Side has no incentive to share power and prosperity on the basis of equality with the Turkish Cypriot Side, who were expulsed by force of arms from the state apparatus of the 1960 established partnership republic.  The Greek Cypriot Side, who has always rejected an equality-based partnership settlement when it came to the crunch for more than half-a-century due to their hegemonic mentality and their obsession that Cyprus is a Hellenic island,  are today trying to devour the Turkish Cypriots in the Greek Cypriot Administration. The last rejections of Greek Cypriots for a federal settlement took place in the UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan in 2004 and again in Crans-Montana in 2017. There were many more plans and ideas that were previously rejected. We have said that the time has come to think outside the box, to open a new page, to look forward and accept the realities of the island of Cyprus.  We have put forward a new policy and vision for a two State settlement that will provide a realistic and sustainable basis, that allows for the two Sides to coexist as two friendly neighbours in a cooperative relationship. All of these were reiterated to the Secretary-General.”

Stressing the need for effective action to be taken to end the inhumane isolation and restrictions on the Turkish Cypriot People, President Tatar said: “Turkish Cypriots continue to face inhumane isolation and restrictions, preventing direct trade, direct flights and our youth cannot even play in many prominent international sports tournaments.  Our people, our youth, should not be subjected to these restrictions which are a manifest violation of our human rights.”   President Tatar emphasised that the isolation of Turkish Cypriots was nothing less than persecution and an injustice “which needs to be ended as it has no place in the civilised world of the present day”.

“If we want justice and a sustainable settlement on the island, both Sides must be prepared to approach each other in every aspect. The gulf between the two Sides must be addressed as it will pose dangers for a settlement – when that day comes. Therefore, the embargo and isolation imposed on us must also be eliminated,” President Tatar said.  

Explaining his contacts during the New York visit, President Tatar said that he held consultative meetings with President Erdoğan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan, participated in the Gala Event of the Turkish American National Steering Committee; met with officials of the Organisation of Turkic States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. He said his representatives also met with UN and the officials of other countries and international actors, adding: “We have complete unanimity with Motherland Türkiye with regards to our national cause and our two State policy, which is a sustainable and realistic basis for permanent peace and stability in the island and the region."


“CALL BY PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN HAS CONSOLIDATED AND STRENGTHENED OUR TWO STATE POLICY”
President Tatar expressed his gratitude to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of the Republic of Türkiye, for making a fresh call during his address at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly,  for the international community to form diplomatic, political and economic relations with the TRNC and to formally recognise the Turkish Cypriot State. 

“The new call by President Erdoğan for the recognition of the TRNC and for world nations to form relations across different areas with our country is very significant.  President Erdoğan has voiced the great injustices facing the Turkish Cypriot People to the whole world. He has been our voice at the UN, which has failed to give us an equal platform as the platform given to the Greek Cypriot Side. I wish to reiterate our utmost gratitude to President Erdoğan.  His messages have consolidated and strengthened our two State policy as a basis for a settlement in Cyprus,” President Tatar said. 

Stating that the call by President Erdoğan was also a clear demonstration that “we have no intention to violate anybody else’s rights,” President Tatar added:  “we have closed the book for a federal solution which was pursued for the past 60 years to no avail.   From now on, there will be no sitting at the negotiating table without the reaffirmation of our sovereign equality and equal international status, which is our new policy”.
Pointing out that “if there is going to be a settlement, the TRNC will be a party to this settlement," PresidentTatar emphasised:  "A settlement can be reached on the basis of a cooperative relationship between two States. Our two State policy has solid grounds, because it emanates from our entire struggle to co-exist in peace in these lands in the face of island-wide attacks and annihilation plans instigated against our people from 1963 to 1974, our inherent equal rights as Turkish Cypriots and the fact that we have not been the side that has rejected a great multitude of plans and ideas for more than half-a-century. . .we have rights emanating from international law”.

President Tatar added that a bizonal, bicommunal federal settlement “has been discussed always ending with a failure for the last 60 years and it is no longer a realistic basis for a settlement for these reasons and also because the realities in Cyprus of today do not fit this basis”.   He said he had referenced this position that was first conveyed at the 5+UN informal meeting that was held in Geneva, Switzerland, in April 2021.
 
"THE SECRETARY-GENERAL HAS CONFIRMED THAT AN IMPOSED SOLUTION IS OUT OF THE QUESTION”
Stating that any agreement on the island must be freely negotiated and mutually acceptable, President Tatar said that the Secretary-General also confirmed during their meeting that imposing a solution is out of the question.   

President Tatar said he conveyed to the Secretary-General that they are against the appointment of a special envoy that would be mandated to implement UN Security Council resolutions for negotiations on a federal basis. However, the President said that he could think about considering the appointment of a personal envoy, subject to conditions.
 
"WE HAVE MADE COOPERATION PROPOSALS ACROSS DIFFERENT AREAS”
Reiterating that new and formal negotiations can only be held following the reaffirmation of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot Side, President Tatar said that he has conveyed a series of cooperation proposals to the Secretary-General.
Reiterating that he had conveyed cooperation proposals to the Greek Cypriot Side across different areas on natural resources, renewable energy, electricity interconnection cable to Europe via Türkiye, sharing of water piped to the TRNC via an 80km long undersea pipeline from Türkiye, cleaning of landmines and irregular migration, the President said that these proposals were not implemented because of the opposite side’s concern that there would be an elevation in the status of the Turkish Cypriot Side.

President Tatar said: “We have conveyed these cooperation proposals in good faith.  This will be a test of sincerity. If these are accepted, a meeting to be chaired by the UN Secretary-General could be held that would be attended by myself and the Greek Cypriot leader.”    President Tatar said that the international community generally accepts that there are two separate people, two structures and two democracies in Cyprus.
"Therefore, let us come to an agreement together on some important issues that will benefit both people on the basis of equality.   The Cyprus issue itself can be put on hold for the time being until a common ground is found,” President Tatar said.

The President said that he had explained to the Secretary-General that it would be through mutual respect and cooperation between the two sides that will be beneficial to both sides and also pave the way to building trust which would help bring about a conducive environment that will help an eventual settlement.   “Pursuing an isolationist policy and trying to strangle the Turkish Cypriot People across different areas and waiting for our People to cave in and accept an imposed solution is not going to work,” President Tatar said.

President Tatar added that he had also met with TRNC citizens living in New York. “Turkish Cypriots living abroad have a deep connection with their homeland, the TRNC,” President Tatar said. “I was astonished to hear that the first migration of Turkish Cypriots to New York goes back to the 1920s,” he said.