President Ersin Tatar on Wednesday said that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was not part of the so-called Republic of Cyprus but was a separate sovereign state.

Tatar who held an online meeting with the Director General of the EU Commission Mario Nava said that a realistic solution in Cyprus could only be based on the political equality of the two sides.

Speaking during the meeting, President Tatar drew attention to the importance of the inclusion of Turkish Cypriots in the EU as well as developing relations with the block.

He added that the key to achieving stability on the island and the region was to work together in different areas.

“The Cyprus Problem should not be allowed to prevent the development of relations between the two peoples on the island,” Tatar said.

He also said that the EU should refrain from discriminatory actions against Turkish Cypriots and should respect the political balances as well as sensitivities between the two motherlands.

Tatar reiterated the Turkish Cypriot side’s readiness to cooperate with the EU on a wide array of issues from environment to crime and health.

“We are a small island and no one can ignore the existence of the north. We are not part of the so-called Republic of Cyprus. There are two separate states on the island and there are a separate and sovereign people in the north,” he said.

Tatar pointed out it will be easier to achieve a political settlement on the island if Turkish Cypriots feel they can trust the EU.

“Trust can be achieved through sustainable cooperation,” he added.

For his part Nava said that he was planning to visit the island at the end of January.