President Ersin Tatar participates in Antalya Diplomacy Forum
President Ersin Tatar has said that a two State viable settlement in Cyprus would provide peace and stability in the island and the region.
The President made the remarks in the speech he delivered on Saturday at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) that is being held in the south coast city of Turkey where he was invited to attend by Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The three-day event, being held under the auspices of President Erdoğan and organised by the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, is being held between June 18-20 at the NEST Congress and Exhibition Centre, under the theme of ‘Innovative Diplomacy: New Era, New Approaches’.
Ten heads of state and governments – including President Tatar, 42 foreign ministers, three former heads of state and government, and more than 50 representatives of international organisations or former government officials are participating in the event.
President Tatar, who has been accompanied by TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu and Presidential Special Representative, Ergün Olgun, is taking part in the event.
President Tatar spoke at the ADF panel earlier, titled: “The Way Forward for A Realistic Settlement in Cyprus”.
President Tatar said that his mandate, after having been elected the fifth President of the TRNC, was based on a “new vision” for a “two State settlement model that will benefit both sides in Cyprus and all sides in the Eastern Mediterranean”.
“Negotiations for a federal settlement which has been ongoing for decades has been exhausted,” the President said. Referring to the admission of former late Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister, Nicos Rolandis, the President emphasised: “As Mr Rolandis has recorded, the Greek Cypriot side has refused 15 different proposals for a federation. The perpetuation of the status quo cannot be allowed to continue. The Turkish Cypriot people have been made victims of this unjust situation.”
President Tatar, explaining that the international community and the EU had witnessed first-hand the rejection of the Annan Plan in 2004 by the Greek Cypriot side in the separately held, simultaneous referenda by 76 per cent, but which was accepted by the Turkish Cypriot side by 64 per cent, said: “Despite the promises to end the isolation and restrictions on the Turkish Cypriot people and the pledges made to start direct trade and direct flights, no steps have been taken. . .the Greek Cypriot side were however rewarded with EU membership, whilst the Turkish Cypriots were left out in the cold”.
President Tatar drew attention to the importance of having a “political equilibrium” – and “equal treatment” of the two sides. “The way forward is to cooperate as the two States in Cyprus for a common future, in peace and stability, and the acceptance of the principle of sovereign equality and equal international status of the two sides,” the President said.
The President underlined that Turkish Cypriots were “inherent co-owners” of Cyprus and “signatories to international agreements,” but that in 1964, the Greek Cypriot side, who had forced the Turkish Cypriots out of all state apparatus by force of arms, had “usurped the title of the Republic of Cyprus and unjustly treated as the sole authority of the island of Cyprus”.
Upon the moderator stating that the international community has “sympathy” to the Turkish Cypriots because of their plight, President Tatar remarked: “The Turkish Cypriots do not want just sympathy. There is a need to respect our human rights and ability to trade and travel directly. There is a need to adopt a ‘think outside the box’ approach for a settlement in Cyprus that is based on a realistic model of two States that are in cooperation with one another in different fields, rather than continuing to negotiate on a basis that has failed time and time again over the past decades,” he said.
The President made the remarks in the speech he delivered on Saturday at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) that is being held in the south coast city of Turkey where he was invited to attend by Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The three-day event, being held under the auspices of President Erdoğan and organised by the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, is being held between June 18-20 at the NEST Congress and Exhibition Centre, under the theme of ‘Innovative Diplomacy: New Era, New Approaches’.
Ten heads of state and governments – including President Tatar, 42 foreign ministers, three former heads of state and government, and more than 50 representatives of international organisations or former government officials are participating in the event.
President Tatar, who has been accompanied by TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu and Presidential Special Representative, Ergün Olgun, is taking part in the event.
President Tatar spoke at the ADF panel earlier, titled: “The Way Forward for A Realistic Settlement in Cyprus”.
President Tatar said that his mandate, after having been elected the fifth President of the TRNC, was based on a “new vision” for a “two State settlement model that will benefit both sides in Cyprus and all sides in the Eastern Mediterranean”.
“Negotiations for a federal settlement which has been ongoing for decades has been exhausted,” the President said. Referring to the admission of former late Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister, Nicos Rolandis, the President emphasised: “As Mr Rolandis has recorded, the Greek Cypriot side has refused 15 different proposals for a federation. The perpetuation of the status quo cannot be allowed to continue. The Turkish Cypriot people have been made victims of this unjust situation.”
President Tatar, explaining that the international community and the EU had witnessed first-hand the rejection of the Annan Plan in 2004 by the Greek Cypriot side in the separately held, simultaneous referenda by 76 per cent, but which was accepted by the Turkish Cypriot side by 64 per cent, said: “Despite the promises to end the isolation and restrictions on the Turkish Cypriot people and the pledges made to start direct trade and direct flights, no steps have been taken. . .the Greek Cypriot side were however rewarded with EU membership, whilst the Turkish Cypriots were left out in the cold”.
President Tatar drew attention to the importance of having a “political equilibrium” – and “equal treatment” of the two sides. “The way forward is to cooperate as the two States in Cyprus for a common future, in peace and stability, and the acceptance of the principle of sovereign equality and equal international status of the two sides,” the President said.
The President underlined that Turkish Cypriots were “inherent co-owners” of Cyprus and “signatories to international agreements,” but that in 1964, the Greek Cypriot side, who had forced the Turkish Cypriots out of all state apparatus by force of arms, had “usurped the title of the Republic of Cyprus and unjustly treated as the sole authority of the island of Cyprus”.
Upon the moderator stating that the international community has “sympathy” to the Turkish Cypriots because of their plight, President Tatar remarked: “The Turkish Cypriots do not want just sympathy. There is a need to respect our human rights and ability to trade and travel directly. There is a need to adopt a ‘think outside the box’ approach for a settlement in Cyprus that is based on a realistic model of two States that are in cooperation with one another in different fields, rather than continuing to negotiate on a basis that has failed time and time again over the past decades,” he said.