President Ersin Tatar has said that official negotiations on the Cyprus Problem can only begin after the Turkish Cypriot side’s sovereign equality is accepted.

Tatar was speaking to reporters following the briefing he gave to MPs in parliament ahead of his visit to New York.

The president warned that the Greek Cypriot side’s mentality was full of traps and that its main goal was to spread its authority to the north, removing the TRNC once and for all and reducing Turkish Cypriots into a minority.

President Ersin Tatar briefed MPs in the legislative assembly at an extraordinary session on Thursday before heading off to New York on Sunday for contacts within the framework of the annual UN General Assembly.

Speaking to reporters following the two-hour long session which was held behind closed doors, President Tatar once again made it clear that there can be no official talks for a solution on the Cyprus Problem before the Turkish Cypriot side’s sovereign equality and equal international status is recognized.

“Only as and when our new policy is accepted can official negotiations begin,” said the president, adding that he will find the opportunity to convey his views during his contacts held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Tatar also said that it was his greatest hope and goal to launch cooperation with the Greek Cypriots in the field of economy, health, culture and environment before talks could begin.

He reminded that the proposals he had made on July 1 regarding the sharing of the island’s natural gas resources, interconnecting the island’s grids with Europe via Türkiye, sharing the water from Türkiye with South Cyprus, demining and the problem of undocumented migrants were some of the issues where cooperation could be carried out.

Tatar also said that it was out of the question to accept the confidence-building measures proposed by the Greek Cypriots.

“For example the proposal to connect Ercan’s FIR (Flight Information Region) to South Cyprus which will result in ending the FIR between Ercan and Ankara is unacceptable”, he stressed.

President Tatar said that the proposal to return Maraş and its removal as TRNC territory was also unacceptable.

He added that a federal settlement was a relic of the past and did not provide any promises for the future.

Meanwhile, also expressing a few short words, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Zorlu Töre said that the briefing had been very productive.