President Ersin Tatar had a meeting with TRNC citizens living in New York and told them that the TRNC will be one of the parties to any settlement of the Cyprus issue.
The President, who is in New York for the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, stated that he always made sure that he met with the Turkish Cypriots living there during his annual visits, adding that he placed “great importance on Turkish Cypriots living abroad”.

Addressing the meeting on Sunday, President Tatar said: “The Turkish Cypriot People are continuing the struggle for the reaffirmation and acknowledgment of their equal inherent rights.  We are continuing to call upon the international community to acknowledge the realities of the Island of Cyprus, and to recognise the independence of the TRNC, a State in the eastern Mediterranean.”

“The Turkish Cypriot People endured many years of suffering, pain and losses, and lived in extremely difficult conditions.  Following many years of defending our existence and struggle against the aspiration of the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo and EOKA terrorist organisation to unite Cyprus with Greece, as Turkish Cypriots we are now living in freedom and without fear under the roof of our own State,” President Tatar said, stressing  “We place importance on our relations with the Republic of Türkiye and the Organisation of Turkic States.”
 
“TURKISH CYPRIOTS LIVING ABROAD WILL CONTINUE TO BE PART OF THE TURKISH CYPRIOT PEOPLE”
Commemorating all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the just struggle of the Turkish Cypriots, President Tatar said: "As Turkish Cypriots, we have never lost our identity, culture and values, and we remain part of the greater Turkish nation.  It is under this principle that, wherever in the world Turkish Cypriots live, they continue to be a part of the Turkish Cypriot People.”
Stating that “Turkish Cypriots abroad have deep emotional attachments and love for TRNC, their homeland,” President Tatar said: “Turkish Cypriots living abroad are in unity and solidarity with us, and they have never severed their strong connections with their homeland, the TRNC. I wish to stress that it is important that future generations continue to keep their ties with the TRNC in the era of globalisation and communication we live in.”
 
THE ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE AT THE 78TH SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE MESSAGES HE HAS GIVEN ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN VOICING OUR JUST CAUSE TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY”
President Tatar said that the Turkish Cypriot People in Cyprus always has been and continue to be a part of the greater Turkish nation, adding that the support of the Republic of Türkiye is very important for the TRNC.

“President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Türkiye, in his address at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, has made a fresh new call to the international community to end the injustices and the persecution of the Turkish Cypriot People, who continue to suffer from the inhumane isolation and restrictions.  He has also again called the international community to formally recognise the independence of the TRNC, and to form diplomatic, political and economic relations with the TRNC” President Tatar said.    “The message by President Erdoğan is very important in voicing our just cause to the whole world, and for our policy to gain more acceptance.”

The President said that there is ongoing work aimed at developing relations with other countries. “The TRNC is a reality and is the homeland of Turkish Cypriot People, who are living in freedom and security under the roof of their own independent State, and looking forward to a more prosperous future.  Our struggle against the injustices preventing direct trade and direct flights, and the restriction preventing our youth from being able to play in many prominent international tournaments continues,” President Tatar said.
 
“THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLES IN CYPRUS WITH THEIR OWN RELIGION, LANGUAGE, HISTORY, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS”
Referring to the various contacts he made within the scope of his New York contacts, President Tatar stated that he explained the injustices and discrimination faced by Turkish Cypriot People and their rightful struggle to find a place in the world. President Tatar said: "There are two separate peoples in Cyprus with their own  religion, language, history, customs and traditions.   There is the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, which has come about after the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo and EOKA terrorist organisation had in 1963 forced Turkish Cypriots out of the state apparatus of the partnership republic by force of arms.  The Turkish Cypriot People have been effectively governing themselves and running their own state of affairs as a State to date. The Greek Cypriot Side have rejected countless federal based plans for more than half-a-century, including the UN Comprehensive Settlement (Annan) Plan in 2004 and negotiations in Montana in 2017. We are sincere and forward looking, and are saying that negotiations under the federal basis have been exhausted. As neither side can dominate or represent the other, and learning the lessons from previous failures due to the hegemonic mentality in the Greek Cypriot Side, it is time to think outside the box. A settlement can be reached on the basis of two States who have good neighbourly relations and who are in a cooperative relationship.  This will also prevent one side from dominating or coming under the authority of the other.”
 
“THE TRNC, WHICH WAS FORMED WITH THE FREEWILL OF THE TURKISH CYPRIOT PEOPLE, SHOULD BE RECOGNISED”
President Ersin Tatar said: "Our State, which we proclaimed with our freewill, needs to be recognised," adding that “the entire region could benefit from such stability as a result of such cooperation”.
 
“UN HAS CONFIRMED THAT IT WILL NEVER IMPOSE A SOLUTION WHICH NEEDS TO BE FREELY NEGOTIATED AND AGREEMENT FREELY REACHED”
Referring to his meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York, President Tatar said: “The Secretary-General stated that the UN would never impose a solution in Cyprus, and that the solution has to be freely negotiated and agreement freely reached.

President Tatar said that he has put forward a new policy and vision for a settlement that is based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot Side. “If there is going to be a settlement, the TRNC will be a party to this settlement,” he said.
The President explained the developments in tourism, higher education, construction and agricultural sectors, and called upon the Turkish Cypriots abroad to return back to their homeland in due course.
Speaking on behalf of TRNC citizens living in New York, Ayhan Hassan stated in his speech that the Turkish Cypriots living in the US are following the developments and “are fully supportive of the two State policy of President Tatar”.