President Ersin Tatar on Thursday said that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was a reality which could not be ignored.

In an interview with Agence France Presse in New York, Tatar said it was out of the question for the Turkish Cypriot side to take a step back from its position in favour of a two-state solution based on sovereign equality and equal international status.

He said that they would continue to patiently explain to everyone in detail the Turkish Cypriot side’s policy on a two-state solution which he added was crucial for a realistic and sustainable settlement on the island.

Tatar added that Ankara fully supported the Turkish Cypriot side’s policy as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had stressed during his address to the UN General Assembly.

Referring to the five-plus one informal meeting held in Geneva in April earlier this year, President Tatar said that the Cyprus Problem was not an issue which only concerned the two sides on the island but was important in terms of maintaining balances in the Eastern Mediterranean.  In response to a question on Maraş, Tatar said that the Cyprus Problem had become further complicated following decades of unsuccessful negotiations and the admittance of the Greek Cypriot side into the EU despite its rejection of the 2004 Annan Plan.

He added that the Greek Cypriot side rejected all forms of cooperation, including the issue of natural resources.

“We are ready for cooperation between two states existing side-by-side on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status. However the Greek Cypriot side, out of fear that this will pave the way for the recognition of the TRNC, is rejecting cooperation. In fact you need mutual respect and a balance in order to reach a lasting and sustainable agreement,” he said.

Tatar also touched upon the decision by the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades to call off his meeting with the Archbishop of America because he attended the opening of the Türkevi (Turkish House).

He said that the attacks against the Archbishop by Greek and Greek Cypriot officials as well as the decisions by Anastasiades and Mitsotakis to call off their meetings with him revealed the level of intolerance against Turkish Cypriots.

Providing examples from history, Tatar said that the island had never come under the control of Greece and called on the international community to accept the realities on the island.

Meanwhile, in a separate interview to the Turkish daily Sabah, President Tatar said that the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey will not remain a bystander to the Greek Cypriot side’s unilateral hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

He said that despite repeated warnings, the Greek Cypriot side continues to carry out unilateral actions raising tensions in the region.

This he added was unacceptable for the Turkish side.

Tatar also reminded that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly been making a call for a regional conference to discuss the fair and equal distribution of hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Touching upon a statement made by a member of the opposition CHP party in Turkey who described Turkey’s Blue Homeland doctrine as expansionist, President Tatar said, “I found his remarks strange. It’s obvious that Turkey and the TRNC have rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. These are not baseless claims. When you look at the map you see the island’s close proximity to mainland Turkey which has a 2000km coastline. I find such views disappointing.”

President Tatar also thanked his Turkish counterpart for allocating a floor at the new Turkish House for the TRNC Representation Office.

“We have had a representation office here in New York since 1974.