President Ersin Tatar received officials of the International Crisis Group at the offices of the Presidency.

Stating that the ICG was an “internationally recognised institution”, the President said that the reports and studies published by the organisation was important in this context.

 


“TRNC CONTINUES TO BE HOPE FOR ITS PEOPLE”

President Tatar stated that the international powers had not as yet been able to appreciate the realities of Cyprus, adding: “There have been two States, two separate administrations in Cyprus going back to nearly 60 years. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which was proclaimed and has always been supported by the Republic of Turkey, came about because of the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people to being able to self-govern and administer themselves. The TRNC is becoming more rooted and is providing more hope to its people”.

 



“GREEK CYPRIOT MEMBERSHIP OF THE EU HAS MADE THE CYPRUS PROBLEM MORE COMPLICATED”

Underlining that the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ has turned into a Greek Cypriot run republic in the course of time, President Tatar stated that the Greek Cypriot side, which had voted against the UN-supported comprehensive settlement plan in 2004 (Annan Plan) in the separately held, simultaneous referenda.

“Despite the Turkish Cypriot approval of the settlement plan by 64 per cent and the Greek Cypriot rejection of the plan by 76 per cent, we, the Turkish Cypriot side, were left out in the cold. The Greek Cypriot side were on the other hand unjustly enabled membership of the EU, which they continue to exploit to their advantage on a daily basis and to further the isolation of Turkish Cypriots,” the President said.

The President underlined that the UN Security Council resolution on March 4, 1964 – which enabled the Greek Cypriots to be treated as the sole authority of Cyprus, as well as the Greek Cypriot side's accession to the EU in 2004, further deepened the conflict on the island.

 



“WE WILL NEVER ABANDON THE ACTIVE AND EFFECTIVE GUARANTEE OF TURKEY”

Referring to the massacres against the Turkish Cypriots and the coup d’état by the Greek junta on July 15, 1974 which was staged with the objective of uniting the island with Greece, President Tatar added: “The aspiration of the Greek Cypriot side of uniting the island with Greece has surfaced many times of history. It is because of this that we Turkish Cypriots will never abandon or give up on the active and effective Guarantee of Turkey.”

“Negotiations for a federal settlement have been exhausted and have been ongoing for decades but always refused by the Greek Cypriot side, who have been left no motivation or incentive to share Cyprus under a power sharing agreement with Turkish Cypriots, based on equality.  Therefore, the Turkish Cypriot policy, which is backed by Turkey, is for a settlement to be reached that is based on the cooperative relationship of two sovereign states," he added.



“GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE HAS NOT INTENTION OF SHARING GOVERNANCE AND RESOURCES BASED ON EQUALITY”

Noting that negotiations on the basis of a federation has been negotiated for more than 50 years and has now been shelved, the President said: “The Greek Cypriots do not have any intention to share the governance or wealth of Cyprus on te-he basis of equality with the Turkish Cypriot people”.

Referring to the developments in the eastern Mediterranean, President Tatar pointed out that the Turkish Cypriot side has the same legitimate rights as that of the Greek Cypriot side, and said that the TRNC will not give up its sovereignty and authority in the resources within its jurisdiction.

 



“WE WILL NOT ALLOW THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS TO BE CRUSHED UNDER A ‘MAJORITY-MINORITY’ RELATIONSHIP

Reminding that small countries with a small population in the EU have as many rights and a voice as large countries, President Tatar stated that Turkish Cypriots will “never be allowed to be crushed under the name of a majority-minority relationship” in Cyprus.

“Population numbers is not a criteria in the context of the Cyprus issue,” the President said. “There are two separate equal peoples in Cyprus when the issue is examined in depth. Therefore the realties should be understood and appreciated”.

 



“EU MEMBERSHIP OF THE GREEK CYPRIOTS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF UNLAWFULNESS”

President Tatar pointed out that when viewed in the light of geographical and historical facts, it should not be forgotten that Turkey, as a guarantor country, has a say over Cyprus.

The President said that the articles in the treaties that had established the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ had clearly prohibited the membership of the island into any other union of which both Turkey and Greece were not members of.

“The unilateral membership of the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ to the EU is a great example of unlawfulness in this context, and that this has had upset the delicate Turkish-Greek balance in favour of the Greek side,” the President stated.

Referring to the six-point proposal he presented at the five-plus-UN informal meeting held in Geneva in April with the participation of the UN Secretary General, President Tatar noted that the vision put forward on the basis of sovereign equality was also greatly supported by the public, and that the struggle being out forward was being done in full harmony with Turkey.