President Ersin Tatar of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), has stated that the results of the General Election have re-affirmed Turkish Cypriot people’s support for a new ‘outside-the-box’ approach in any future formal negotiations to be based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two sides that are co-owners of Cyprus.


President Tatar, who won the Presidential election in October 2020, stated that the results of the general elections on 23 January, 2022, is a confirmation of the democratic will of the Turkish Cypriots for a settlement in line with the proposals made by the Turkish Cypriot side in Geneva on 27-29 April, 2021.  The Turkish Cypriot vision for a settlement in Cyprus envisages formal negotiations based on sovereign equality and equal international status of the two sides. Political parties supporting this view won a total of 32 seats out of the 50-seat Parliament of the TRNC (About 60 per cent of the vote).


The President added that the Turkish Cypriot electorate have by majority voted for political parties which support his policy and vision for a settlement that respects the existence of two distinct peoples in the island of Cyprus, each with their own distinct language, religion and culture. President Tatar emphasised that a future settlement needs to be freely reached and mutually acceptable to both sides and respect the inherent sovereign equality and rights of the co-owners of the island, the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot people.  An equality-based power sharing arrangement has always been rejected by the Greek Cypriot side because of their unwillingness and refusal to share governance and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriots.


“The vision for a settlement based on sovereign equality where the two sides enter into a structured cooperative relationship as part of a bottom-up approach, would boost confidence building and trust on the island and make Cyprus a beacon of peace that will also have a positive impact in the Eastern Mediterranean,” said President Tatar, adding: “The General Election results in the TRNC should be respected as a clear indication of the will of the Turkish Cypriot people, who predominantly voted for political parties seeking a new alternative and a way forward in Cyprus on the basis of the sovereign equality of the two Peoples.”


President Tatar called upon the international community to take note of the democratic re-affirmation of the political will of the Turkish Cypriot people and help provide incentives to the Greek Cypriot side in the interests of a settlement serving peace and stability in the region.