President Ersin Tatar holds very cordial meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Konya
President Ersin Tatar and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a very cordial meeting where discussions were held on the Cyprus issue and on expanding relations between the two countries.
President Tatar is in Konya, Türkiye, to attend the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games Opening Ceremony at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
President Tatar met with his Azerbaijani counterpart at the Ramada Hotel Melikşah Hall for about 40 minutes, where discussions were held on the Cyprus issue. President Tatar also raised the issue of the unjust isolation and the need for Turkish Cypriots to be treated on an equal footing and to being able to trade directly, travel directly and to participate in international sports tournaments, rather than continuing to be inhumanely isolated despite the promises made by international actors.
With regards to the Cyprus issue, President Tatar underlined his position on the necessity for formal negotiations to be held on the basis of the “sovereign equality and equal international status” of the Turkish Cypriot Side, which is an inherent right. He added that negotiations for a federal based solution – which requires the two sides to share power and prosperity – have been exhausted due to the constant rejections by the Greek Cypriot Side over several decades.
Noting that his meeting with President Aliyev was held in a very cordial atmosphere, President Tatar emphasised that discussions were held on expanding relations between the two countries in humanitarian, cultural, educational and sports fields.
President Tatar also highlighted the need for Turkish Cypriots to be able to participate in international sports tournaments under their own identity, including the Islamic Solidarity Games, in the coming years.
The President emphasised that the Turkish Cypriot People were very proud and supportive of Azerbaijan in the Karabakh victory.
President Aliyev said that they were fully aware of the support given by the people of the TRNC during the Karabakh war and stated that he supports the participation of TRNC athletes in the Islamic Solidarity Games.