President Ersin Tatar stated that 18 years have passed since the Annan Plan referendum and since then the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has rooted itself even further and that the Turkish Cypriot people, who took to the square in 2004, had the opportunity to see the truth once again.
Speaking to the TAK news agency on the 18th anniversary of the Annan Plan referendum, President Tatar reminded that not even a single promise that had been made during the referendum had been fulfilled and added that the European Union is the reason why the Greek Cypriots said no to the plan.
“The Greek Cypriots had been promised entry into the European Union therefore they voted against the plan” said Tatar and added that the Turkish Cypriots had been punished for saying yes to the plan and the Greek Cypriots had been rewarded for saying no.
“My assessment 18 years later is that a game had been played against the Turkish Cypriot people and Turkiye” said Tatar.
Reminded that during the Annan Plan period, international community officials had promised that the plan would be a great opportunity for Turkish Cypriots and that even if the Greek Cypriots rejected it and the Turkish Cypriots approved it, the isolation would be lifted and direct trade would be carried out, Tatar said that at that point the Turkish Cypriot people did their part and made concessions even at the point of sovereignty.
However the Greek Cypriots were accepted into the EU and although 18 years have passed not a single promise has been fulfilled towards the Turkish Cypriots he said.
Reminding that in the event of an agreement the guarantees would be abolished and the region would be secured with the European Union’s own security mechanisms and in this way the Turkish soldiers would need to withdraw from the island as Turkiye is not part of the EU, Tatar stated that this is all part of the game being played against the TRNC and Turkiye.
“We will never allow such a thing in Cyprus as Turkiye is our only guarantee and its military’s ability is a deterrent force” said Tatar.
“After all these years of struggle, there can never be an option where we are patched up to the Republic of Cyprus. Our path is a process and a policy that is dependent on two equal states living side by side. There have been two separate states in Cyprus for 60 years. This is so ingrained that it is no longer possible to combine them under one roof” said Tatar and underlined that the path to be followed should be cooperation between two states.
Drawing attention to the war in Ukraine the President said no one should say that there will be no conflict in Cyprus again.
“Ukraine trusted the European Union, NATO and the USA. We are all witnessing what is going on right now,” Tatar said while emphasizing the value of living in peace and tranquillity in a country with Turkiye as a guarantor power and its military protection.
Noting that it is not possible to realize a solution based on a federation, which has been discussed for years, Tatar called on the EU to stop supporting the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo who do not support a solution in Cyprus and fulfil the promises it made to the Turkish Cypriot people during the 24th of April 2004 Annan Plan referendum.