The statament of President Ersin Tatar
Response of President Ersin Tatar to Greek Cypriot Leader Nicos Anastasiades’ message made on January 1, 2021:
The Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, in his first message of 2021, has speculated that the former UN Special Envoy, Espen Barth Eide, is the architect of a two State solution and in doing so has placed the responsibility on him. Mr Anastasiades also has stated in his response to the statement of Archbishop Chyrostomos II, of the Orthodox Church who criticised ‘Mr Anastasiades who has wanted a two State solution’ in Cyprus; that whilst he would “not negotiate another solution type except that of a federation, he was committed to what he was putting forward in Crans Montana”.
The reality however is known that Mr Anastasiades believes that a two State solution is a realistic solution model. The interested parties in the Cyprus issue are also aware of this. Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has also stated that Greek Cypriot leader, Mr Anastasiades, had expressed his support for a two State solution model during their meeting.
Unfortunately, Mr Anastasiades has been forced to revert to his previous political policies, due to the immense pressure of the Greek Cypriot Orthodox Church, AKEL, ELAM and other parties.
Mr Anastasiades has also repeated the claims he made in his letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, dated September 22, 2017, that “Turkey is taking steps to annex Cyprus”, and in doing so has once again brought this claim to the agenda.
Whilst alleging that “The Zurich-London Treaties were nothing more than an interim station and Turkey prevented the implementation of the Republic of Cyprus constitution in every field”, Mr Anastasiades has yet again sought to hide the realities.
It should once again be emphasised that it was Archbishop Makarios who stated that it was the Greek-Greek Cypriot leadership who used the Republic of Cyprus (which was formed as an equal constitutive partnership enshrining the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and Greek Cypriots) as a “spring board for Enosis” (Union of Cyprus with Greece) and an “interim objective”. The Akritas Plan was prepared to facilitate this objective and the Greek Cypriots were arming and organising in secrecy. Whilst the Republic of Cyprus Constitution was being trampled over by the Greek Cypriot leadership, there was a desire to demolish the Turkish Cypriot rights enshrined in the Constitution.
We also remember what was suffered during the Bloody Christmas atrocities which started the campaign to achieve Enosis. The massacre of all of our people, similar to the Crete catastrophe, would have taken place in Cyprus, had it not have been for the resistance shown by the Turkish Cypriot people, and the intervention by Turkey.
The objective of the July 15, 1974 coup organised by the Greek junta, was also to annex Cyprus to Greece.
If the July 20, 1974 Turkish Peace Operation had not been carried out, the Turkish Cypriot people would have been subject to genocide, and buried in mass graves.
Incidentally, the former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, stated following the unilateral and unjust EU membership of South Cyprus in 2004, that: “ENOSIS has been achieved with the EU membership of Cyprus”.
The realities of Cyprus, what has taken place and the mentality of the Greek-Greek Cypriots are known. According to this on-going mentality; Cyprus is Hellenic, the Turkish Cypriot people are a minority, and are not entitled to have a say based on political equality in the governance of the state. According to this mentality, the sole owners and authority over the natural resources of Cyprus are the Greek Cypriots. The main cause of the failures of negotiations processes that has been continuing since 1968 up until the present day is this continuing Greek-Greek Cypriot mentality.
It has once again become apparent, in particular in Crans Montana that the Greek Cypriot side does not want a just solution, and negotiations for a federal model solution have collapsed. Due to all of these reasons, we have brought to the agenda a solution model based on the existence of sovereign two states with the support of Turkey. We say that there is need for a sovereign two state solution in order for our people to live in freedom and security, for the existence of our State and the sovereignty of our people. We will continue on this path. My call to the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr Anastasiades, is not to run after dreams that will not materialise, and to respond positively to our calls for dialogue. My hope and wish is for 2021 to be the year for us to reach a compromise for a sovereign two state solution model.
The reality however is known that Mr Anastasiades believes that a two State solution is a realistic solution model. The interested parties in the Cyprus issue are also aware of this. Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has also stated that Greek Cypriot leader, Mr Anastasiades, had expressed his support for a two State solution model during their meeting.
Unfortunately, Mr Anastasiades has been forced to revert to his previous political policies, due to the immense pressure of the Greek Cypriot Orthodox Church, AKEL, ELAM and other parties.
Mr Anastasiades has also repeated the claims he made in his letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, dated September 22, 2017, that “Turkey is taking steps to annex Cyprus”, and in doing so has once again brought this claim to the agenda.
Whilst alleging that “The Zurich-London Treaties were nothing more than an interim station and Turkey prevented the implementation of the Republic of Cyprus constitution in every field”, Mr Anastasiades has yet again sought to hide the realities.
It should once again be emphasised that it was Archbishop Makarios who stated that it was the Greek-Greek Cypriot leadership who used the Republic of Cyprus (which was formed as an equal constitutive partnership enshrining the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and Greek Cypriots) as a “spring board for Enosis” (Union of Cyprus with Greece) and an “interim objective”. The Akritas Plan was prepared to facilitate this objective and the Greek Cypriots were arming and organising in secrecy. Whilst the Republic of Cyprus Constitution was being trampled over by the Greek Cypriot leadership, there was a desire to demolish the Turkish Cypriot rights enshrined in the Constitution.
We also remember what was suffered during the Bloody Christmas atrocities which started the campaign to achieve Enosis. The massacre of all of our people, similar to the Crete catastrophe, would have taken place in Cyprus, had it not have been for the resistance shown by the Turkish Cypriot people, and the intervention by Turkey.
The objective of the July 15, 1974 coup organised by the Greek junta, was also to annex Cyprus to Greece.
If the July 20, 1974 Turkish Peace Operation had not been carried out, the Turkish Cypriot people would have been subject to genocide, and buried in mass graves.
Incidentally, the former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, stated following the unilateral and unjust EU membership of South Cyprus in 2004, that: “ENOSIS has been achieved with the EU membership of Cyprus”.
The realities of Cyprus, what has taken place and the mentality of the Greek-Greek Cypriots are known. According to this on-going mentality; Cyprus is Hellenic, the Turkish Cypriot people are a minority, and are not entitled to have a say based on political equality in the governance of the state. According to this mentality, the sole owners and authority over the natural resources of Cyprus are the Greek Cypriots. The main cause of the failures of negotiations processes that has been continuing since 1968 up until the present day is this continuing Greek-Greek Cypriot mentality.
It has once again become apparent, in particular in Crans Montana that the Greek Cypriot side does not want a just solution, and negotiations for a federal model solution have collapsed. Due to all of these reasons, we have brought to the agenda a solution model based on the existence of sovereign two states with the support of Turkey. We say that there is need for a sovereign two state solution in order for our people to live in freedom and security, for the existence of our State and the sovereignty of our people. We will continue on this path. My call to the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr Anastasiades, is not to run after dreams that will not materialise, and to respond positively to our calls for dialogue. My hope and wish is for 2021 to be the year for us to reach a compromise for a sovereign two state solution model.