President Ersin Tatar held a meeting with Stephen Doughty, UK Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, at the Presidency on Friday.

The meeting, which lasted 30 minutes, started at 4.45pm and was also attended by Güneş Onar, Special Representative of the President and officials of the Presidency.

President Tatar made a statement to the press following the meeting.

President Tatar stated that the UK Minister of State had crossed to the TRNC during his visit to the Island of Cyprus, and visited him as part of the preparations for the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format that will be held in Geneva on 17-18 March.

“I explained to Mr. Doughty that I will be attending the informal meeting on Cyprus in a constructive spirit, and that I am going to Geneva, as the Secretary-General has stated in his invitation letter, to have meaningful discussions to finding a mutually acceptable way forward on the Cyprus issue. The Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People deserve a better future,” President Tatar said.  

Stating that he put forward the position of the Turkish Cypriot Side to the UK Minister of State, President Tatar said: “I explained that a new and formal process can be started following the reaffirmation of our sovereign equality and equal international status. The UK is a guarantor country and pen holder at the UN, which has historical links to the Island of Cyprus. There have been negotiations for a federal-based settlement for more than half-a-century which have failed and been exhausted.  I explained the need to think outside the box and to open a new chapter for the Island of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People.”

"I emphasised to Mr. Doughty that it is our wish and desire to increase cooperation in various areas, including the crossing points, for the development of people-to-people contacts, dialogue and relations between the two peoples, and therefore to increase this cooperation until a final settlement is found that reflects the realities on the Island," President Tatar said, adding:  “I also gave details about the previous processes, such as the April 2004 UN Comprehensive Settlement (Annan) Plan, that was rejected by 76 per cent of the Greek Cypriot People in the separately held simultaneous referenda whilst being accepted by 65 per cent of the Turkish Cypriot People and that the Greek Cypriot Side was accepted one-week after the referenda as a member of the EU in the name of the whole Island whilst my people were left out in the cold. The promises by the international community, including the UK, to end our isolation, and to start direct flights and direct trade, have not been honoured.  I stated that there was an expectation that the UK would, particularly following her departure from the EU, be more flexible and able to end the isolation of Turkish Cypriot People and to reinstate their basic human rights. With regret, the UK has not acted with fairness or treated the two Sides on an equal footing.”

“The UK has failed to display an approach that fully reflects the reality in Cyprus,” President Tatar said.

Stating that “the development of the UK’s relations with Southern Cyprus in recent years, especially since the war in Gaza have been approaches that have further increased the  imbalance and inequality between the two sides in Cyprus,” President Tatar added: “Ignoring the existence of the Turkish Cypriot Side, who are one of the conflicting parties whilst strengthening relations with the other party, has served to deepen the inequality in Cyprus. This situation is not acceptable for the Turkish Cypriot People.”

At the end of his statement, President Tatar underlined that a “two State settlement, which will provide a realistic, permanent and sustainable settlement, is inevitable”.

“I emphasised to Mr. Doughty that negotiations for a federal settlement is now behind us, and that a two State settlement, which is also the factual realities of the Island, is the only option for a fair and sustainable solution in Cyprus," the President said.