President Ersin Tatar said on Monday that it was out of the question for the Turkish Cypriot side to abandon its state.

“No one should expect us to abandon our state,“ said Tatar who spoke to reporters right after the informal lunch with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Tatar said that the Secretary-General needed to convince the UN Security Council that Turkish Cypriots had their own sovereign state.

“Only after a decision which recognises the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people can we sit at the table for negotiations to reach a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus,” Tatar stressed.

He added that the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades had admitted during the meeting that an opportunity had been missed with the Annan Plan.

Tatar also said that the UN Secretary-General wanted to bring him together with the Greek Cypriot leader for another meeting next month.

On his way to the meeting, commenting on Anastasiades’ statement that he was not open to a two-state solution, Tatar said there were already two separate states in Cyprus.

“There have been two separate states in Cyprus for 60 years, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the north of Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot administration in the south, which turned into a Greek state. After this point, no one can give up their 60-year-old state. We will not give up our state,” he said.

Asked by reporters whether he was open to a two-state solution, the Greek Cypriot leader replied, “I am open for a bizonal, bicommunal federation.”