President Ersin Tatar speaks to AA News Agency
President Ersin Tatar: “Two State settlement for Cyprus is inevitable”
Photos
A settlement on the basis for two neighbouring States in Cyprus and the sovereign equality of two separate peoples on the island have become 'inevitable,' TRNC President Ersin Tatar said on Monday.
President Tatar, who was interviewed by AA at the TRNC Representative Office located on the 13th floor of Türk Evi (Turkish House) opposite the Headquarters of the UN in New York, stated that "an agreement based on two States, the sovereign equality of two separate peoples, and their equal international status has become inevitable”.
President Tatar, who is in the US for the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, said that he has been paying annual visits to New York city every September and meets with the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. He added that the international body has not been able to address the “great injustice” faced by Turkish Cypriot People for the past 60 years.
"Everyone knows that there are two separate peoples in Cyprus," he said.
Underlining that the TRNC, with Türkiye's support, has been conveying a new policy with regards to a settlement, President Tatar also pointed to the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot People and Türkiye in Cyprus, that is located in the geopolitical eastern Mediterranean region.
President Tatar stressed that Turkish and Greek Cypriots have historically been separate peoples on the island. "There is no 'Cypriot' nation. In Cyprus, you are either Turkish or Greek. This is the way it is, and this is the way it remains."
In reference to a European Parliament report about Türkiye that Ankara has called "a collection of unfounded allegations and prejudices," Tatar said it was also "irrelevant to the realities of Cyprus."
He emphasised that any solution in Cyprus that seeks to end Türkiye's status as a guarantor and set up a federative system on the island would be unacceptable.
Turkish Cypriots will not accept "the elimination of their own State," Tatar said, adding that the prevailing issues could only be resolved with a "win-win" approach.
On the matter of energy, he asserted that due to its distance from mainland Europe, the Greek Cypriot administration is outside the interdependence of European countries that must work together to resolve their energy problems.
Everyone would benefit from improved regional stability, he said, adding that "stubbornly" failing to accept the reality of the TRNC's existence amounted to blocking the way to reconciliation.
Noting that Türkiye had allocated the 13th floor of the Turkish House in New York to being the Representative Office of the TRNC, Tatar said Turkish Cypriot officials held meetings there.
Turning to recent arms sales by the US and France to the Greek Cypriot administration, Tatar said these could have detrimental effects on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
These relations, he argued, are illegitimate as they are not conducted under the approval of the island's three guarantor countries, Türkiye, Greece, and the UK.
The Turkish Cypriot president said that despite embargoes by other countries, the TRNC has flourished, pointing to big projects ranging from a new international airport in capital Lefkoşa to the construction of an 80km long undersea water pipeline from Türkiye, that transports 75 million m3 per annum of water to the TRNC.
"With these successes, our State has now come to a position where it can be a part of the two State solution in Cyprus, with its institutional structure and all its will. This is important. A two State settlement is realistic and sustainable. Otherwise, we would face huge risks," he said.
"We will not take any steps back from the two State settlement"
Tatar underlined the sovereignty and independence of the TRNC saying: "The borders drawn by the Cyprus Peace Operation in 1974 are our honour and dignity. We will never and cannot compromise on these borders."
Road development project with Pile village
President Tatar also said that the TRNC has been pursuing a road construction project between the villages of Pile and Yiğitler for 25 years, finally starting to develop the road in recent weeks so Turkish Cypriot residents in Pile could travel to and from the rest of the TRNC more easily.
Roads have been built from Pile to the city of Larnaca on the Greek Cypriot side, while homes and a shopping centre were built in other parts of the buffer zone, but nobody speaks about this, he said, adding that the UN Peacekeeping Force has caused all manner of obstacles to the TRNC's road project.
President Tatar said more than 500 Turkish Cypriots live in Pile and that they are determined to carry out this road project with the support of Türkiye.
"This is a road being constructed to address humanitarian needs. We neither have eyes on someone else's land, nor were these efforts carried out for a land grab. It is our greatest hope and wish that this issue will be resolved amicably," he said.
Residents of Pile will be able to travel shorter distances and will not have to pass through British bases when crossing to the Turkish side when the 11.6-kilometer (7.2-mile) construction and repair work ends. The first 7.5 km (4.66 mi) of the road will pass through the village of Yigitler, and the second 4.1 km (2.55 mi) will pass through Pile.
Lack of direct UK-TRNC flights
President Tatar also said negotiations were ongoing with various countries for direct international flights to the TRNC's Ercan Airport. The President said that the UK has “close relations” with the Greek Cypriot Side, and pointed out that there are tens of thousands of British nationals living in TRNC and large numbers of Turkish Cypriots in UK, asserting that their inability to travel to the TRNC on direct flights has "essentially become a human rights issue”.
If the UK approves direct flights to the TRNC, it will have the Greek Cypriot administration to confront, Tatar said, underlining that launching direct flights would hinge on the Greek Cypriot administration's approval.
"We do not really want its approval anyway. Because if we accept its approval as the TRNC, in a sense, we will be swearing allegiance to its authority. . . If we are thinking about the long-term existence, future, independence, and freedom of the Turkish Cypriot people on this Island, we must attach great importance to this policy and make sacrifices if needed,” President Tatar added.
On the TRNC's "Water and Soil Resources Master Plan," Tatar said agricultural activities in Türkiye, especially on its southern coast to the Mediterranean Sea, are similar to those in the TRNC.
"Bringing water here is a completely different economic success and has changed the face of TRNC," he said. Pointing to scientific research, the President stated that a wide range of agricultural activities aimed at productivity of TRNC land have been carried out with success.
President Tatar also thanked Anadolu at the end of the interview saying the news agency "has always been the voice of the Turkish Cypriot People."
President Tatar, who was interviewed by AA at the TRNC Representative Office located on the 13th floor of Türk Evi (Turkish House) opposite the Headquarters of the UN in New York, stated that "an agreement based on two States, the sovereign equality of two separate peoples, and their equal international status has become inevitable”.
President Tatar, who is in the US for the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, said that he has been paying annual visits to New York city every September and meets with the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. He added that the international body has not been able to address the “great injustice” faced by Turkish Cypriot People for the past 60 years.
"Everyone knows that there are two separate peoples in Cyprus," he said.
Underlining that the TRNC, with Türkiye's support, has been conveying a new policy with regards to a settlement, President Tatar also pointed to the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot People and Türkiye in Cyprus, that is located in the geopolitical eastern Mediterranean region.
President Tatar stressed that Turkish and Greek Cypriots have historically been separate peoples on the island. "There is no 'Cypriot' nation. In Cyprus, you are either Turkish or Greek. This is the way it is, and this is the way it remains."
In reference to a European Parliament report about Türkiye that Ankara has called "a collection of unfounded allegations and prejudices," Tatar said it was also "irrelevant to the realities of Cyprus."
He emphasised that any solution in Cyprus that seeks to end Türkiye's status as a guarantor and set up a federative system on the island would be unacceptable.
Turkish Cypriots will not accept "the elimination of their own State," Tatar said, adding that the prevailing issues could only be resolved with a "win-win" approach.
On the matter of energy, he asserted that due to its distance from mainland Europe, the Greek Cypriot administration is outside the interdependence of European countries that must work together to resolve their energy problems.
Everyone would benefit from improved regional stability, he said, adding that "stubbornly" failing to accept the reality of the TRNC's existence amounted to blocking the way to reconciliation.
Noting that Türkiye had allocated the 13th floor of the Turkish House in New York to being the Representative Office of the TRNC, Tatar said Turkish Cypriot officials held meetings there.
Turning to recent arms sales by the US and France to the Greek Cypriot administration, Tatar said these could have detrimental effects on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
These relations, he argued, are illegitimate as they are not conducted under the approval of the island's three guarantor countries, Türkiye, Greece, and the UK.
The Turkish Cypriot president said that despite embargoes by other countries, the TRNC has flourished, pointing to big projects ranging from a new international airport in capital Lefkoşa to the construction of an 80km long undersea water pipeline from Türkiye, that transports 75 million m3 per annum of water to the TRNC.
"With these successes, our State has now come to a position where it can be a part of the two State solution in Cyprus, with its institutional structure and all its will. This is important. A two State settlement is realistic and sustainable. Otherwise, we would face huge risks," he said.
"We will not take any steps back from the two State settlement"
Tatar underlined the sovereignty and independence of the TRNC saying: "The borders drawn by the Cyprus Peace Operation in 1974 are our honour and dignity. We will never and cannot compromise on these borders."
Road development project with Pile village
President Tatar also said that the TRNC has been pursuing a road construction project between the villages of Pile and Yiğitler for 25 years, finally starting to develop the road in recent weeks so Turkish Cypriot residents in Pile could travel to and from the rest of the TRNC more easily.
Roads have been built from Pile to the city of Larnaca on the Greek Cypriot side, while homes and a shopping centre were built in other parts of the buffer zone, but nobody speaks about this, he said, adding that the UN Peacekeeping Force has caused all manner of obstacles to the TRNC's road project.
President Tatar said more than 500 Turkish Cypriots live in Pile and that they are determined to carry out this road project with the support of Türkiye.
"This is a road being constructed to address humanitarian needs. We neither have eyes on someone else's land, nor were these efforts carried out for a land grab. It is our greatest hope and wish that this issue will be resolved amicably," he said.
Residents of Pile will be able to travel shorter distances and will not have to pass through British bases when crossing to the Turkish side when the 11.6-kilometer (7.2-mile) construction and repair work ends. The first 7.5 km (4.66 mi) of the road will pass through the village of Yigitler, and the second 4.1 km (2.55 mi) will pass through Pile.
Lack of direct UK-TRNC flights
President Tatar also said negotiations were ongoing with various countries for direct international flights to the TRNC's Ercan Airport. The President said that the UK has “close relations” with the Greek Cypriot Side, and pointed out that there are tens of thousands of British nationals living in TRNC and large numbers of Turkish Cypriots in UK, asserting that their inability to travel to the TRNC on direct flights has "essentially become a human rights issue”.
If the UK approves direct flights to the TRNC, it will have the Greek Cypriot administration to confront, Tatar said, underlining that launching direct flights would hinge on the Greek Cypriot administration's approval.
"We do not really want its approval anyway. Because if we accept its approval as the TRNC, in a sense, we will be swearing allegiance to its authority. . . If we are thinking about the long-term existence, future, independence, and freedom of the Turkish Cypriot people on this Island, we must attach great importance to this policy and make sacrifices if needed,” President Tatar added.
On the TRNC's "Water and Soil Resources Master Plan," Tatar said agricultural activities in Türkiye, especially on its southern coast to the Mediterranean Sea, are similar to those in the TRNC.
"Bringing water here is a completely different economic success and has changed the face of TRNC," he said. Pointing to scientific research, the President stated that a wide range of agricultural activities aimed at productivity of TRNC land have been carried out with success.
President Tatar also thanked Anadolu at the end of the interview saying the news agency "has always been the voice of the Turkish Cypriot People."