Following the meeting which lasted almost an hour, President Tatar told the press that in the meeting with Ms Morton, he concurred that the views of both sides are very important for a fair and lasting settlement in Cyprus.   

Stating that Ms Morton confirmed that as a guarantor country, the United Kingdom will be participating and also making some proposals in the five-plus-UN informal meeting to be held in Geneva, President Tatar said he reiterated that a just, fair and sustainable settlement in Cyprus would only be possible if conforming to the realities in Cyprus, on the basis of sovereign equality of two independent States that co-exists side-by-side where they enjoy a cooperative relationship.   The President stated that this is the policy he has been setting out at every opportunity, from the start of the process. 

Explaining that the United Kingdom had transferred its sovereignty to two separate peoples in 1960, President Tatar said: "I had the opportunity to explain to Ms Morton once again that various documents to both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots prove this".

Emphasising that the United Kingdom, as one of the guarantor countries, is well informed on the Cyprus issue, President Tatar said that he relayed to Ms Morton that as a guarantor country, the UK has great responsibilities, adding:  “The injustices that Turkish Cypriots have been experiencing as from 1963 with the continuation of the isolations, restrictions and, in our opinion, other injustices should be reviewed, especially because of the UK's departure from the EU”.  The President also pointed out that “there were promises to lift these during the period we said 'yes' to the Annan Plan in 2004, and in fact that UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, had in his submissions to the UN Security Council for these to be lifted and some relief to be brought to the Turkish Cypriots. However, this has not come to fruition, ” he said.

Recalling that the Greek Cypriots were admitted to the European Union unilaterally, President Tatar said that the former British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, also expressed his great discomfort on this issue recently. 

Expressing that there was a need to have a mutual acceptance by both sides for a settlement to be reached, President Tatar emphasised that the approval of Turkish Cypriots is definitely necessary for there to be an agreement.  

President Tatar stated that the struggle given by the Turkish Cypriots is for “the continuation of our sovereignty and State and to have a  secure future for our people and children, and in the event that a settlement is reached, to live in peace and security.”





WE WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY SETTLEMENT FOR THE SAKE OF IT

Stating that  "there is no question of us accepting any agreement just to have a settlement for the sake of it, nor will we be able to say yes to an imposed solution with economic promises,“  President Tatar emphasised  that Cyprus is no longer the old Cyprus, adding that “the island is strategically more important in the eastern Mediterranean”.  President Tatar stressed that “we have the full support of the Republic of Turkey,  our motherland, guarantor and most powerful country in the region.”





WE EXPLAINED THE IMPORTANCE OF TWO STATES

President Tatar stated that they debated the importance of two States and why the Turkish Cypriot side is insisting on it and that Ms Morton said they may have various initiatives before the informal meeting in Geneva. The President said that the view taken by Ms Morton was for all sides to be prepared to show some flexibility in order to end the informal meeting with a positive result.   

President Tatar added: “What I stated during the meeting is that, in the face of all the flexibility we have shown over so many years, there has been no goodwill from the other side.  In fact Mr Anastasiadis in his statement on April 1, stated that Cyprus is an integral part of Hellenism which is a long standing aspiration.

“We explained that the remarks were made during the anniversary celebrations of the founding of the EOKA terrorist organisation on April 1,  where Mr Anastasiadis declared EOKA as the organisation of heroes.  I also reminded Ms Morton that the British know EOKA very well.” 

The President stated that he also relayed to Ms Morton that despite all these facts, the Turkish Cypriot side will do their best at the negotiations to achieve a fair, stable and sustainable settlement in Cyprus and reiterated that at present it is extremely important for the Turkish Cypriots to retain their sovereignty and state and that all these will be expressed clearly at the informal meeting in Geneva.  




FLEXIBILITY IS NEEDED ON ADDRESSING THE ISOLATION ISSUE OF THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS

President Tatar stated that since the UK has departed from the EU, some flexibility could be showed by the country in relation to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.  He added: “On behalf of the Turkish Cypriot people I requested this from Ms Morton.  After all, there are hundreds of thousands of our people living in the UK today.  These people are also British citizens.  These people are suffering grievances when travelling to Cyprus and back, because there are no direct flights.” 

President Tatar said that following Brexit, the UK is no longer bound by the rulings of the European Court of Justice and added that  it will be beneficial to the Turkish Cypriots if flexibility is shown on direct trade and direct flights as soon as possible. “As I had told British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, I also expressed to Ms Morton that this would be a show of goodwill from the UK toward the Turkish Cypriot people,”  he said. 

Indicating that the Turkish Cypriot side has always protected the interests and rights of its people whilst making preparations within the framework of a goodwill approach, President Tatar emphasised that the Turkish Cypriot people as a whole went through great suffering and hardship in these lands and that at the end of these struggles, they have established their own state.

In conclusion, President Tatar said:

"I conveyed to Ms Morton with sincerity that we are fully appreciative of the value and opportunities provided by our State and we will only consider a settlement which will secure the continuation of our State and sovereignty.”