President Ersin Tatar has said that the Turkish Cypriot side will not back down from its two-state policy.
The president word’s came during a visit paid to him by students and academics from the Department of International Relations at the Estonian Tartu University who are on an educational trip to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Informing the students on the latest developments on the Cyprus issue, President Ersin Tatar said that talks for a federal settlement were over and that a fair and sustainable agreement in Cyprus could only be reached on the basis of cooperation between the two sovereign states that exist on the island.
He noted that the Turkish Cypriot side’s new policy was fully supported by Ankara and that it was out of the question to take a step back from this policy.
Emphasizing that the international status and sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot side must be recognized in order for official negotiations to start, President Tatar stated that the Greek Cypriot mentality unfortunately had not changed and that its efforts to extend its authority to the north will never be acceptable.
Touching upon the unfair embargoes and isolation imposed on Turkish Cypriots, President Tatar noted that despite all the obstacles, the TRNC continues to thrive in different areas such as higher education and tourism.
Pointing to the importance of the Estonian Tartu University examining the Cyprus issue, he pointed to the importance of such contacts in voicing the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot people to the world.
Stating that despite the Turkish Cypriot people, despite being the victims of the Cyprus Issue will continue their struggle for recognition; Tatar emphasized the importance of the continuation of Türkiye’s guarantees.
He also informed the visiting students about the water transfer project supplies fresh water from Türkiye to TRNC via a suspended underwater pipeline as well as the cooperation proposals presented by the Turkish Cypriot side to the Greek Cypriot side on energy and water.