Statement by President Ersin Tatar
"We will not accept any exclusionary, unilateral, or fait accompli approach"
Following the persistent and obsessive insistence of the Greek Cypriot leader, the European Union unilaterally designated Johannes Hahn as its Special Envoy for Cyprus.
Mr Hahn is currently visiting South Cyprus. This designation was made without the consent of the Turkish Cypriot side and in complete disregard of our will.
Any initiative based solely on the demands of one side holds no validity for us.
The Greek Cypriot leader is presenting this appointment to his people as a personal victory and is attempting to equate Mr Hahn’s role with that of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. This is not only misleading but also shows a lack of respect for the ongoing efforts within the UN framework.
The EU’s internal decision serves the political agenda of the Greek Cypriot side and is far from being impartial. The sovereign will of the Turkish Cypriot people has been completely ignored in this process. Hence, this appointment, which was made to support the Greek Cypriot position, bears no significance or obligation for us.
The process related to the six initiatives agreed upon in Geneva continues under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General and through the mandate of his Personal Envoy, Ms. María Ángela Holguín. Any initiative outside this framework, which is not based on the equal consent of both sides, undermines efforts for cooperation. The European Union is not a party to this process and cannot be part of any formula concerning Cyprus without our approval.
Therefore, I wish to make it absolutely clear that this appointment is an internal matter of the EU and there will be no engagement or dialogue with us.
If EU institutions truly wish to see improved relations between the two sides, they should advise their “member” accordingly, rather than endorsing the Greek Cypriot leader’s aggressive and unilateral political designs.
The Turkish Cypriot people remain firmly committed to a settlement vision based on sovereign equality and equal international status. We will not accept any approach that is exclusionary, unilateral, or imposed as a fait accompli.