President Ersin Tatar addresses the National Unity Party (UBP) Politics Academy on his “Two States Vision”
“We will never give up our State, our sovereignty and the guarantee of the Republic of Türkiye”
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President Ersin Tatar addressed the National Unity Party (UBP) Political Academy on his “Two States Vision” and the way forward for the Island of Cyprus.
Addressing the Grand Library of Near East University in Lefkoşa on Saturday at the closing session of the academy that had lasted for six weeks, President Tatar stated that “different ideologies and principles have been put forward in important lectures at this prominent academy over the past six weeks”.
Congratulating the organisers and speakers, President Tatar spoke about the geopolitics of the eastern Mediterranean region and his vision for a two State settlement that is based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot Side, as a basis for a settlement in Cyprus.
“It is the responsibility of all of us to protect our State,” President Tatar said, adding: “We will never give up our State, sovereignty and the guarantee of the Republic of Türkiye.”
Stating that the Turkish Cypriot Side “has always supported a settlement on the basis of equality,” President Tatar said: “The Greek Cypriot Side expelled the Turkish Cypriots from the partnership 1960 Republic of Cyprus state apparatus by force of arms in December 1963 and staged island-wide attacks against our people for 11 years, as part of their aspiration to unite Cyprus with Greece. For more than 50 years, negotiations have been held for an equality-based federal settlement. However, due to the political Resolution 186 endorsed by the UN Security Council in March 1964, which unjustly provided for the Greek Cypriot Side to be recognised as the sole government of Cyprus, the Greek Cypriots have not accepted Turkish Cypriots as their equals, and have rejected sharing governance and the resources of the Island with us. The last examples of these were seen in the separately held simultaneous referenda for the UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan in April 2004, where the Greek Cypriot People voted against the solution plan by 76 per cent, which the Turkish Cypriot People had accepted by 65 per cent,” President Tatar said, adding that despite the arduous efforts of the Turkish Cypriot Side for a settlement, a last and final attempt for a federal solution also collapsed in Crans-Montana, in July 2017.
President Tatar added: “The international community had promised to end our international isolation during the Annan Plan referenda period, which has never been honoured. The Turkish Cypriot People continue to be persecuted through isolation that is preventing us from being able to travel directly, and trade directly. It is high time the international community takes tangible steps towards ending our isolation."
Stressing that “despite the inhuman restrictions, obstructions and embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriots", President Tatar said that "we are determined to preserve our identity and to coexist on the Island of Cyprus”.
Pointing out that the Ottoman Empire ruled the Island of Cyprus from 1571 to 1878, President Tatar stated that “many institutions, including the Cyprus Religious Foundation (Evkaf), was administered by the Turkish Cypriot People on the Island. Significant numbers of Greek Cypriots were transferred to the Island under the British administration".
Stressing that the Turkish Cypriot People "have been waging a struggle against the aspiration of the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo to make Cyprus a Hellenic Island,” President Tatar pointed out: “The Turkish Cypriots also succeeded in raising awareness with regards to the importance of the Cyprus national cause in the Republic of Türkiye”.
“The Turkish Cypriot People have the same equal inherent rights as that of the Greek Cypriot Side, including sovereign equality and equal international status. After being expelled from the state apparatus of the 1960 republic by force of arms in 1963, the Turkish Cypriot People have been governing themselves effectively as a state. From 1963 to 1974, our people lived in enclaves, deprived of even the most basic needs such as food, water and electricity, and they were subjected to island-wide attacks as part of the extermination plans of the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo," President Tatar said.
Stating that a coup d’etat had been staged by the Greek Junta in July 1974, President Tatar stated that it was in fact Archbishop Makarios who addressed the UN Security Council, where he told the world that Greece invaded Cyprus.
He added that Türkiye undertook the Cyprus Peace Operation as a guarantor power in order to stop the bloodshed, which brought peace to the Island and freedom for the Turkish Cypriot People.
“Federal based negotiations have been held for more than half-a-century,” President Tatar said. “However, the Greek Cypriot Side, unable to accept sharing governance and the resources with the Turkish Cypriot Side on the basis of equality, has rejected all possible federal plans for a settlement in Cyprus. This was seen in the Annan Plan of April 2004, and lastly in Crans-Montana in July 2017. Therefore, the Turkish Cypriots have withdrawn their consent from the tried, failed and exhausted federal basis. We are today putting forward a new vision and position for a two State settlement, the peaceful co-existence of the two States as friendly neighbours that can be in a cooperative relationship, that would be beneficial not only for the Island of Cyprus but for the whole region,” President Tatar said.
Pointing out that there have been for a considerable period of time and there still are two separate States, two separate peoples and two separate democracies in Cyprus, President Tatar emphasised that Turkish Cypriots have the right to determine their own future on the basis of sovereignty.
President Tatar referred to the historic address of the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, at the 77th and 78th session of the UN General Assembly, where he called upon the international community to put an end to the isolation and restrictions on the Turkish Cypriot People that is tantamount to their persecution, and to formally recognise the TRNC.
Stating that the TRNC has been accepted as an observer member to the Organisation of Turkic States under its constitutional name, President Tatar said that the Turkish Cypriot People "continue their struggle for respect, equality and recognition as inherent equals, and to be accepted among the international community".
The President also paid tribute to Turkish Cypriots living abroad, particularly those living in Türkiye, UK, Australia and the US, who have become very successful and contributing socio-economically in the respective countries.
President Tatar thanked the organisers for the Politics Academy of the UBP, and said he looks forward to many more events of this nature in the future that has brought together academics, politicians, the youth and party political officials.