President Ersin Tatar has said that a federal settlement was no longer on the table and that the Turkish Cypriot side’s new policy was a two-state solution on the island.
“We must continue to explain to the world our righteous position. This new policy is a strong one, its success is my greatest hope,” Tatar said in response to journalists’ questions on a special programme on BRT on Monday night.
Evaluating the latest developments on the Cyprus Issue, President Ersin Tatar said that he would be travelling to New York next month to hold contacts on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly but added it was unlikely a meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades was in the books.
“South Cyprus is preparing for elections. I don’t think Mr Anastasiades will want to meet with me during this period,” he said.
Tatar also defended the Turkish Cypriot side’s new policy in favour of a two-state solution based on sovereign equality.
He pointed out despite its challenges; the two-state policy was being carried out successfully with the full support of Türkiye.
“We succeeded much in the past two years. A federal solution is no longer being talked about,” Tatar said.
The president also ruled out the possibility of accepting a ‘zero troops zero guarantees’ policy, arguing that this would endanger Türkiye’s position on the island.
Touching upon his recent contacts in Konya, President Ersin Tatar said that he had found the opportunity of informing numerous foreign ambassadors on the Turkish Cypriot side’s new policy as well as a meeting with Azerbaijan’s President İlham Aliyev.
Tatar said that efforts to include the TRNC as an observer state in the Turkish States Council was continuing and that the Azeri President was working on enhancing cultural and economic ties with the Turkish Cypriots.
“We would have direct flights to Baku if it was up to Azerbaijan but the Greek Cypriots would prevent this from happening and it would put them in a difficult situation,” he said.
Also touching upon the issue of hydrocarbons, President Tatar said that it was necessary for the issue to be dealt with through a joint committee to be set up between the two states.
“However the Greek Cypriots are refraining from cooperating with us in any way,” he complained.
Tatar however pointed out that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which was seeking to defend its own rights and interests as part of Türkiye’s Blue Homeland doctrine was a seperate state in the Eastern Mediterranean.
He expressed the view that the TRNC played an important role particularly in light of the shifting dynamics in the region which was why the current two-state policy was the right policy.
Regarding relations with the UK, Tatar said that he couldn’t say Britain was fully supporting the Turkish Cypriot side’s two-state solution but pointed out that it was fully aware of the injustices being committed against the Turkish Cypriot people.
He also argued that the international community needed to refrain from taking steps that served the Greek Cypriot administration’s policies if the Turkish Cypriot side’s two-state policy was to be successful.