President Ersin Tatar held a press conference at Ercan Airport prior to his departure for New York, to participate in an informal dinner to be hosted by the UN Secretary-General, on October 15.

The President stated that the invitation was extended to both sides by the UN Secretary-General in meetings held on the margins of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. He said he had accepted the invitation for an informal dinner that will have no agenda, which will be held tomorrow evening on the 38th floor of the UN building in New York.


"This is an informal dinner with no set agenda”

Stating that there are "issues that need to be handled very carefully",  President Tatar said: “This is indeed not an ordinary dinner. This is an informal dinner, with no set agenda."
President Tatar said he wished to "underline that the new position, which has been steadily put forward in the last four years with the support of the Republic of Türkiye, remains unchanged".
"Importance should not be given to the speculations on this matter," President Tatar said.


"We shall be there to defend our just cause”

“We shall be there to defend the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot People,” President Tatar said, adding that the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, had carried out an exploration exercise on whether there was common ground or not between the sides in order to start a new and formal process.  President Tatar said Ms. Holguin was unable to find a common ground during her mandated term.

"As I have repeatedly stated, a common ground can be established following the reaffirmation of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot People, which is our inherent right," President Tatar said.

"The embodiment of our inherent rights,  namely the sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot People, is enshrined  in the 1960 treaties and the Republic of Cyprus which the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots had co-founded on the basis of equality. As is known, the Greek Cypriot side expelled us from the state apparatus of the republic three years later, as part of their aspiration to unite Cyprus with Greece.  The Greek Cypriot side have since propagated to the world as though the Republic of Cyprus is an exclusive Greek Cypriot property.  As if this was not enough, the Greek Cypriot side were allowed to become an EU member, despite voting against the UN Comprehensive Settlement Plan in the separately held simultaneous referenda, in April 2004. Every Turkish Cypriot knows that the promises by international actors to end the inhumane isolation and restrictions have not been kept."

Noting that the Greek Cypriot side has "escalated" its oppression and intimidation on the Turkish Cypriots and is trying to deepen the existing embargo and restrictions "through different plots and schemes", President Tatar said that they have been causing difficulties for the economy of the TRNC, with attacks that are aimed at the tourism and higher education establishments of the country.

“We cannot compromise on the sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot people”

President Tatar said: “The Turkish Cypriot people have equal inherent rights. We are not after usurping anybody else's rights. . . We just want to continue our existence on the basis of equality. We are demanding the manifestation of our sovereign equality,  for direct flights, direct trade and direct contacts."

Stressing that "federal based negotiations have been held for more than half-a-century,"  President Tatar said: "Federal based negotiations have been tried, time-and-again, through different processes, which have all but failed and is now exhausted.  There is a need to think outside the box."

Referring to the historical address by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, at the UN General Assembly last month, President Tatar said: "It is with this understanding that I am heading to New York. Motherland Türkiye is fully supporting me, and the statements of our Motherland are there, and very important.  What are these? As President Erdoğan also stated, the federation book is now closed. Why? Because no conclusive results have been achieved in negotiations that have been held for more than 50 years.”

President Tatar, who emphasised that they have red lines, said: "We will never allow the Turkish Cypriot People to again become immigrants. We cannot compromise on the sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriots.”

"A two State solution is our wish and desire”

Stating that the Turkish Cypriots are "not alone and that the national position is being pursued together with the Republic of Türkiye", President Tatar added: “We cannot compromise on our State and sovereignty. If we do, great dangers await us in the future.  A two State realistic and sustainable  settlement that is based on the cooperative relationship of both Sides is an outcome we wish and desire. It is the way to a sustainable future that will benefit both Turkish Cypriot People, Greek Cypriot People and the region."

"I am leaving for New York with these feelings, and I am fully aware of my sense of responsibility. I will do everything I can at the informal dinner to defend the rights and the national cause of the Turkish Cypriot people, using my experience and knowledge."