President Ersin Tatar departs for New York for the UN General Assembly meetings
"Our demands are direct flights, direct trade and direct contact and the lifting of the unjust isolation"
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President Ersin Tatar departed from Ercan Airport on Saturday at 4.50pm for New York, where he will hold numerous contacts at the UN General Assembly.
The President, who is travelling via Ankara, held a press conference at the airport prior to his departure.
Refering to the Cyprus issue, President Tatar stated that the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, was mandated for six months to explore whether common ground exists or not between the sides to start a new process. Stating that this exploration exercise concluded in July, President Tatar said: "Ms. Holguin had an opportunity to sound out the position of the sides and to see first-hand the factual two State realities in Cyprus."
Reminding that the "brutal embargo on the Turkish Cypriot People has continued since 1964," President Tatar reiterated that the national position supported by the Republic of Türkiye for the last four years has become more consolidated. He said he will once again have an opportunity to explain the position of the Turkish Cypriot Side in his bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in New York.
Referring to the latest statements of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, where he referred to the "resumption of the Cyprus negotiations from where they were left off in Crans-Montana",
President Tatar stated that federal-based negotiations have been exhausted, adding: "Such a basis will be full of dangers and intrigues that includes the abolishment of the active and effective guarantee of the Republic of Türkiye. It will also include ending the veto rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, as well as our sovereign rights. Furthermore, such a basis will not have EU primary law status. In other words, it will have many dangers for Turkish Cypriots."
President Tatar also criticised the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Leader, Tufan Erhürman, for his participation in the Socialist International meetings in New York with the Greek Cypriot communist AKEL party, stating that Cyprus is a "vital issue" concerning the "future of the Turkish Cypriot people". The President criticised Erhürman for "undermining the State's position by going behind its back for his own personal gain," and said that "this does not conform to the actions of a statesman".
President Tatar noted that the two States in Cyprus could cooperate across numerous issues, including electricity and fresh water resources, and reiterated that he would not sit at the negotiation table without the reaffirmation of the inherent rights, namely the sovereign equality and equal international status, of the Turkish Cypriot People.
President Tatar stated that he expects the UN to recognise the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriots, and their right to enjoy direct trade, direct flights and direct contact -- stating that the unjust isolation is also a "violation of our human rights".
He said he had also put this position to Ms. Holguin, and that the new policy of the Turkish Cypriots was a requirement of the national position.
President Tatar, who noted that they will explain the national position of the Turkish Cypriot Side with regards to the Cyprus issue, said: "We will put forward our position for a realistic and sustainable settlement to all of our interlocuters and to representatives of stakeholder countries in our meetings. We will also explain to the UN Secretary-General why a tripartite meeting is not possible."
President Tatar said that they are continuing their ardous efforts to promote the recognition of the TRNC on every platform, including in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) and the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS).
"We will talk about the TRNC on every platform whenever and wherever we have the opportunity. Our struggle for justice will continue," President Tatar said.
President Tatar added that he will inform the public about his contacts in New York upon his return to the island on Sunday, September 29.