President Ersin Tatar participated in a roundtable meeting organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for TRNC (APPG TRNC) in Parliament.

The one-hour long meeting was attended by Lord Hussain, Baroness Sarah Ludford, Lord Kamall, and Nesil Çalışkan MP,  Tahir Ali MP and Imran Hussain MP.

Also in attendance were TRNC Representative to London, Çimen Keskin,  Special Representative of the President, Güneş Onar and Foreign Press Officer Kerem Haser.

President Tatar began his speech by congratulating Nesil Çalışkan on becoming the first woman of Turkish Cypriot descent to have been elected as a Member of Parliament and wished her success and thanked the APPG TRNC “for the years of lobbying that has highlighted the plight and injustice faced by the Turkish Cypriot People, who continue to be deprived of even having a voice on many international platforms”.

The President stated that the Island of Cyprus is of significant geostrategic importance, located in the eastern Mediterranean 40 miles from the south coast of Türkiye, and some 700 miles from mainland Greece. 

Stating that he is in the British capital primarily to hold meetings with UK Parliamentarians, President Tatar said: “The main message I wish to give is that we want a realistic, sustainable and practical settlement.  For more than half-a-century, the Turkish Cypriot People, who have equal inherent rights in Cyprus, have put forward arduous efforts to reach a federal-based settlement.  My People were co-founders of the partnership Republic of Cyprus in 1960, that had three guarantor powers, namely Türkiye, Greece and the UK. However, this partnership was destroyed by the Greek Cypriot Side in December 1963, due to their aspiration to unite Cyprus with Greece, and Turkish Cypriots were expelled from the state apparatus of the republic by force of arms.  From 1963 to 1974, there were island-wide attacks and atrocities committed against my people, who were forced to live in camps.  On 15 July 1974, the Greek Junta staged the coup d’etat, declaring that Cyprus had become a Hellenic Island. Türkiye, as a guarantor power, was obliged by the treaties to intervene and to save Turkish Cypriot People from extermination.”

Explaining that the Turkish Cypriot People “have for more than half-a-century put forward arduous efforts to reach an equality-based federal settlement,” President Tatar added: “Former Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Rolandis publicly wrote that it has been the Greek Cypriot Side that has rejected at least 15 settlement plans.  The last rejections were seen in April 2004, when the UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan, which was drawn up following years of negotiations, was put to a separately held simultaneous referenda, which was flatly rejected by 76 per cent of Greek Cypriots, and accepted by 65 per cent of Turkish Cypriots. However, despite this result, the Greek Cypriots were made members of the EU a week after the referenda, whilst Turkish Cypriots were left in the cold.”

Stating that the “last and final attempt at reaching a federal settlement ended with the collapse of the process in Crans-Montana in July 2017 due to the position Greek Cypriot Side in front of the UN Secretary-General and the three Guarantor powers,” President Tatar said: “The Turkish Cypriot People have become frustrated at the fact that the Greek Cypriot Side have repeatedly shown, time-and-again, that they have no incentive or overarching interest at sharing the governance and the resources of the Island on the basis of equality with the Turkish Cypriot People. All of these processes have shown that federal-based negotiations have been tried, failed and exhausted.”

President Tatar referred to the statements of Jack Straw, who was the serving Foreign Secretary at the time of the Annan Plan in 2004. “Mr Straw was a supported of a federal settlement in 2004 when he was in office. However, Mr Straw, having witnessed the realities and the outcomes in Cyprus, is today openly supporting my vision for a two State settlement in Cyprus, and has stated that it was also wrong to allow Greek Cypriots to become members of the EU prior to the settlement, which has only served to further complicate this protractible problem.”

Stating that the Turkish Cypriot People continue to be isolated and are deprived of basic human rights, President Tatar said: “The International Community made many undertakings to end our isolation during the Annan Plan period in 2004, however these promises to end our isolation, and restrictions have not been honoured. It is high time that the facts on the ground in Cyprus are considered when looking at how we can move forward, if we want a long-lasting and viable settlement.  We have stated that it is time to think outside the federal box. There are two States in Cyprus.  The Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots can coexist as good neighbours in a cooperative relationship, that will be of benefit to both Sides. A solution will also be beneficial for the Greek Cypriot Side, as it would allow for cooperation in natural resources and energy.”

President Tatar referred to the situation in Ukraine,  Gaza and other areas of the world, and said: “War and conflict is unfortunately continuing in other places of the world.  All of these current happenings show just how important it is for Türkiye to be a part of a settlement in Cyprus.   The Turkish Cypriot People will never accept the abolishment of the Guarantee of Türkiye, which we see as our fundamental lifeline, security and very existence.”

President Tatar underlined the importance “for the UK, as a guarantor power, to treat the two Sides in Cyprus on an equal basis,” adding: “I hope that the new UK Labour Government will be able to take a fresh new look at the inhumane isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People, and the need to end these unjust restrictions by starting direct flights and direct trade.”

Lord Hussain, who spoke at the meeting, stated that he is a “firm supporter of the rights of the Turkish Cypriot People, including their right to self-determination”.

Baroness Ludford stated that when she was a Member of the European Parliament, she had paid a visit to the Island through Ercan Airport, and had seen first-hand the effects of the isolation. She said she supports the need to end the isolation, and seek ways to reach a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus.

Nesil Çalışkan thanked President Tatar for visiting Parliament, adding that the UK has historical links to the Island of Cyprus. She said she “recognises that there is an unresolved situation in Cyprus and that there is a need to reach a political settlement to the issue”.