The visit, organised by the UK-based Freedom and Fairness for Northern Cyprus campaign, was held at the Presidency on Wednesday.

President Tatar was visited by Madeline Grant,  a journalist of The Telegraph, Maria Murphy, producer for GB News, Graham Stewart, Deputy Editor of The Critic,  and Journalists Rebecca Banovic and Georgia Gilholy. Campaign co-chairman Çetin Ramadan and Councillor İlkay Kay were also present at the meeting.

President Tatar stated that it is time for the international community to take a fresh review of the Cyprus issue and to reaffirm the equal inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot People, namely their sovereign equality and equal international status.

Explaining that a two State settlement in Cyprus will “provide a realistic and sustainable basis for a settlement for the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People,” President Tatar said: “Negotiations for more than half-a-century on the federal basis have been tried, time and time again, and have been exhausted. The Turkish Cypriot Side has in good faith arduously supported a settlement in Cyprus, which the Greek Cypriot Side rejected in the separately held simultaneous referenda in April 2004 by 76 per cent, which was accepted by Turkish Cypriots by 65 per cent. Despite this outcome, the Greek Cypriot Side were accepted as a member to the EU, whilst the Turkish Cypriot People were left out in the cold. Despite the undertakings by the international community to end our isolation, to start direct flights and direct trade, these have not been honoured. Even our youth are unable to play in many prominent sports organisations such as the Olympics under their own identity. Our athletes have to participate in these tournaments through the national teams of other countries.  The inhumane isolation is a violation of our individual and collective human rights.  I hope that the new Labour Government – which was in power at the time of the Annan Plan, is able to take a fresh new look at the Cyprus issue and the relations with the Turkish Cypriot People.”

President Tatar stated that the Island of Cyprus has significant geostrategic importance, located on the crossroads of three major continents: Europe, Asia and Africa, lying just 40 miles from the Turkish mainland.  

He said the reason why a settlement in Cyprus has not been reached is because of the Greek Cypriot Side’s lack of incentive to share governance and the resources with the Turkish Cypriot Side on the basis of equality -- which he said was again lastly demonstrated in the summit held in Crans-Montana in July 2017, which ended with failure. 

President Tatar stated that the former UK Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, who was in office at the time of the Annan Plan, is today in support of a two State settlement in Cyprus as being a realistic and sustainable basis for reaching a settlement of the Cyprus issue.

President Tatar thanked the journalists and the Freedom and Fairness for Northern Cyprus campaign for the visit.  

Also in attendance were Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Işıksal, Special Advisor on Diplomacy and International Relations and Kerem Haser, Foreign Press Officer of the President.