President Ersin Tatar has stated that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is an “indispensable” part of the Turkish World.

The President made the statement during a fast-breaking (iftar) dinner event organised by the Eurasia Strategic Research Centre (ASAD) in İstanbul.

“The Turkish Cypriot People have inherent rights in Cyprus, namely sovereign equality and equal international status,” President Tatar said. He added that the "TRNC is an inseparable and indispensable part of the Turkish Nation".

“The Turkish Cypriot People have been deprived of their inherent rights after being expelled from the state apparatus of the partnership Republic of Cyprus that had been established in 1960 by the two co-founders – Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots.  We have been governing ourselves as a State since December 1963. Negotiations for a federal based settlement have failed and been exhausted after the Greek Cypriot Side, which for decades refused to share power and prosperity with Turkish Cypriots on the basis of equality, also rejected the UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan in the separately held simultaneous referenda in 2004.  The Turkish Cypriot People, who had voted ‘yes’ to the Annan Plan, continue to be isolated.  Our People cannot travel or trade directly, despite promises by the international community to end our isolation which have never been fulfilled.  We want the isolation to be ended.”

Explaining that a final attempt had been made for a federal based settlement which again ended with failure in July 2017 in Crans-Montana, President Tatar said: “The Turkish Cypriot Side has withdrawn its consent for a federal-based settlement that could create conditions of annhiliating the Turkish Cypriot People over a period of time.   Furthermore, for us the federal based negotiations have been exhausted. We want a realistic and sustainable settlement in Cyprus based on facts on the ground, where the two Sides can co-exist as good neighbours in a cooperative relationship. We will not invest in the failed and exhausted basis.”

President Tatar stated that the catastrophe taking place in Gazza has once again shown how important it is for the guarantee of Republic of Türkiye and the presence of the Turkish army in Cyprus to be continued.

President Tatar stated that the partnership Republic of Cyprus co-founded in 1960  by the Turkish Cypriot People and the Greek Cypriot People had been destroyed just 3 years later, in 1963, due to the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo’s aspiration to unite Cyprus with Greece,  because “they see the Island of Cyprus as a Hellenic Island,” he said.

Pointing to the historic calls for the recognition of the TRNC and support for a two State settlement in Cyprus by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, during his addresses at the UN General Assembly, President Tatar stated that it is time for the international community to formally recognise the TRNC.  

President Tatar thanked ASAD Chairman Murat Doğanay and the Turkish Media for their support to the rightful struggle of the Turkish Cypriot People and for broadcasting the matter to the Turkish public.