The Office of the President on Friday expressed its disappointment over the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres’ latest reports on Cyprus presented to the UN Security Council (UNSC).

A written statement issued by President Ersin Tatar’s office said that both reports, regarding UNFICYP and the Secretary-General’s Good Offices Mission, failed to mention that Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots had equal inherent rights in Cyprus.

It added that failure to include this was an unfortunate step taken in the wrong direction.

“The Secretary-General in his reports covering the period between June 2021 and December 15, 2021, confirms that no common ground exists for the launch of formal negotiations, stressing that there is a further deepening of mistrust between the sides,” the statement read.

It pointed out that President Ersin Tatar has made his priority to reach a sustainable solution to the Cyprus Problem since his election but that achieving such a settlement has not been possible due to the status quo created in 1963 with the occupation of the partnership republic by the Greek Cypriots.

The statement reminded that all efforts from 1968 to the present have failed to achieve a positive outcome.

It also added that negotiations could only succeed if they were based on a political equation that respects the sovereign equality of both sides.

“The Greek Cypriot side’s insistence to carry out negotiations on the basis of legitimacy of the so-called Republic of Cyprus which they took over in 1963 has exhausted all means to reach a common ground necessary for the resumption of the negotiations,” the statement read.

Tatar’s office reiterated that the only way official talks could begin was through the recognition of the sovereign equality of the two sides and equal international status.

“The Turkish Cypriot side has repeatedly stated that it is ready to negotiate, without any prejudice, an agreement that envisages cooperation on the basis of sovereign equality and international equal status,” it said.

The statement said that President Ersin Tatar also supported the proposal by the Secretary-General to appoint a personal representative to replace the former UN envoy Jane Holl Lute.

“However this too has been blocked as a result of the Greek Cypriot side’s negative stance on the issue,” the statement read.

The Office of the President also said that the Turkish Cypriot leadership has supported and will continue to provide political support to the technical committees that they require to sustain a constructive dialogue and deliver tangible results through people-to-people initiatives.

The statement also pointed to the reference by the Secretary-General in his reports to the growing imparity between the two sides, stating that this was the result of the unjust and inhumane embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people.-

“Our expectation is that the UN and international community takes concrete steps to address this imparity and widening economic gap,” the statement read.

Referring to the sections on Maraş, Tatar‘s office said that the steps taken by the Turkish Cypriot side on the fenced-off town were not in violation of UN resolutions and were aimed at addressing the grievances of former residents of the town through the internationally recognized Immovable Property Commission (IPC).

On the issue of hydrocarbons, the statement said that the call made by the UN Secretary to the sides on refraining from taking unilateral actions that raise tensions in the region should be directed at the Greek Cypriot side and Greece.

Once again the statement called on the UN and the international community to treat both sides equally on the matter and to respect the Turkish Cypriot side’s rights.

The statement also hit out at the Greek Cypriot government spokesman who accused the UN Secretary-General of adopting an equal distance between the two sides.

“This is a necessity of the duty he holds. Furthermore, as it has been recorded in previous UN reports, it has been the Greek Cypriot side which has rejected all efforts to reach an agreement on the island,” it said.

The statement concluded by stating that the detailed views of the Turkish Cypriot side will be conveyed to the UN Secretary-General following the approval of the reports by the UN Security Council.