President Ersin Tatar participates in the ordinary meeting of the Yörük Industrialists and Businessmen Association (YÖRSİAD):
President Ersin Tatar participates in the ordinary meeting of the Yörük Industrialists and Businessmen Association (YÖRSİAD): “A settlement in Cyprus can be reached on the basis of sovereign equality of the two sides and the cooperative relationship of two States”
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President Ersin Tatar has stated that a settlement in Cyprus can be reached on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status of the two sides in Cyprus.
The President, who is visiting Antalya to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), made the remarks in an address at the Ordinary Meeting of the Yörük Industrialists and Businessmen Association (YÖRSİAD), which was also attended by First Lady Sibel Tatar and Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu.
Also in attendance were TRNC Ambassador to Ankara Kemal Köprülü, Presidential Undersecretary Okan Donangil, TRNC Antalya Consul General Cem Topçu and Beyarmudu Mayor İlker Edip. Following the opening address by Aykut Ege, Chairman of the Board of YÖRSİAD, President Ersin Tatar and Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu presented their membership badges to the new members of YÖRSİAD.
“We are no longer talking about federation”
Addressing the Ordinary Meeting, President Tatar thanked YÖRSİAD for their invitation and added that “the TRNC and Antalya have always shared a strong relationship, especially in the field of tourism”.
Stating that he is in regular contact with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, President Tatar stated that he attended the meeting of YÖRSİAD as recommended by Mr Çavuşoğlu.
President Tatar stated that one of the most important dates for Cyprus is 1571, when the Ottomans conquered Cyprus. “We have always been in Cyprus and we are doing everything to continue our presence on the island,” the President said. Describing the period when Ottoman rule ended in Cyprus, President Tatar stated: “We Turkish Cypriots have always looked to Anatolia. We looked towards the the Taurus Mountains and we have always continued our national struggle by waiting for Turkey to come to Cyprus”. He added that the Turkish Cypriots suffered massacres but they continued to resist and stated that on July 20, 1974, a new era began in Cyprus.
Highlighting that no one can underestimate the point reached by the TRNC over the past decades, the President said that there are “two separate sovereign peoples in Cyprus and my policy is based on this reality”. President Tatar said it is “possible to reach a settlement in Cyprus on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status of the two sides”.
Referring to the Russia-Ukraine war, President Tatar explained that the conflict is having a global impact, such as giving way to the hikes in the price of oil, stating: “This is having a detrimental impact on the economies of different countries and the TRNC is also faced with this impact,” adding: “However, what we say to our people is, 'we have endured many years of suffering in our past history; we will overcome these difficulties’ . . . what is of paramount importance is that we have our own State, our Republic and our sovereignty”.
The President underlined his support for “sustainable peace and stability in Cyprus,” adding that “negotiations for a federal-based settlement have been exhausted due to the Greek Cypriot side’s rejection of equality-based power sharing proposals for 54 years”. Emphasising that “we are no longer talking about a federal settlement,” the President added “federal model means the Republic of Türkiye will withdraw from Cyprus over a period of time, which is something we will never consent to.”
The President added: “What we are saying is that there is a need to adopt an outside the box approach, to introdue new ideas as a basis as we continue to explore whether a common ground can be found. Taking lessons from the past and the Greek Cypriot side’s rejections and refusal to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriot side on the basis of equality, we are saying that a fair and sustainable seettlement can be reached on the basis of two sovereign and equal States that co-exist side-by-side in Cyprus, where both sides enter into a structured cooperative relationship. This is realistic, practical and attainable,” he said and stressed that this is also a policy supported by the Republic of Türkiye.
Referring to the negotiations continuing for many years over a long period of time, President Tatar said "We are no longer talking about federation” and underlined that the federation thesis means that the Republic of Turkiye will withdraw completely from Cyprus over time and that Turkish Cypriots will never consent to this.
President Tatar stated that the Cyprus national cause is being handled in complete unity together with the Republic of Türkiye, adding that “the continuation and existence of the guarantee system of Türkiye is a red line for us”.
Referring to the importance of maintaining contacts with various non-governmental organisations of the Republic of Türkiye, President Tatar stated that he believed “the sharing of experiences, knowledge and successes of these organisations will reflect on the economy”.
Questions to President Tatar following his speech
On the question regarding the opening of Maraş, President Tatar stated: “The opening of the fenced-off area of Maraş is a significant political step, and that despite the pandemic, around 400,000 people have to date visited [Maraş].” He added that “Maraş has become a centre of interest for tourism”.
Anwering a question as to whether he envisioned EU membership for both sides in Cyprus, and whether he supported the Turkish language being one of the official languages of the bloc, President Tatar said: “If we can become a member of the EU as a separate State, the Turkish language can be made one of the official languages of the EU. There can be two States in Cyprus under the roof of the EU”.
Following his speech, President Tatar was presented with a YÖRSİAD Honorary Member badge and YÖRSİAD Board Chairman Aykut Ege presented a gift to President Tatar and Prime Minister Sucuoğlu in memory of the day.