Media Stakeout of President Ersin Tatar following the trilateral meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York
The media stakeout of President Ersin Tatar, following the trilateral meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, reads as follows:
Photos
Distinguished Members of the Press,
At the outset, I wish to express my gratitude to the Secretary-General, HE António Guterres, for holding this trilateral meeting with my Greek Cypriot counterpart, and the courtesy and hospitality he has extended to us here in New York, as well as for his continued interest in the Cyprus issue.
My participation here today is a clear demonstration of my readiness to remain engaged in dialogue to further people-to-people contacts between the Turkish Cypriot People and the Greek Cypriot People. Since the informal 5+1 meetings held in Geneva and New York under the auspices of the UN Secretary General, I have consistently put forth constructive proposals taking into consideration the interests of both sides on our island.
As is well known, negotiations based on a federal model have all but ended without a solution. These repeated failures have shown beyond doubt that such a basis had been exhausted and in order to reach a solution in Cyprus another path needed to be pursued.
With these thoughts in mind, I had put forward a new and realistic vision, that is based on sovereign equality and equal international status, that envisages two States, coexisting side by side as good neighbours, in a cooperative relationship.
Change will come when the rules of the game are changed.
I call upon the international community to discern the real intentions of the Greek Cypriot side whose leader, stood before the General Assembly a few days ago uttering, words of intolerance, hostility and insults.
In the absence of common ground for the start of new and formal negotiations, I have over the past five years presented in good faith, practical cooperation initiatives -- ranging from proposals on energy, trade, tourism, and the environment, to humanitarian and trust-building measures.
These are designed to foster cooperation, improve daily life, and bring tangible benefits to both the Turkish Cypriot people and Greek Cypriot people.
I invite countries interested in the Cyprus issue to lend their support to more meaningful and ambitious initiatives by urging the Greek Cypriot side to be more forthcoming.
During our discussions today, I once more emphasised my sincere commitment to opening additional border crossing points, in particular at Haspolat and Akıncılar. Such steps would make everyday life easier for ordinary people, alleviating the congestion at the Metehan crossing that is causing hardship to both our peoples. The opening of a new border crossing will, as I reiterated my long-standing position today, enhance people-to-people contact, and demonstrate the real advantages of cooperation.
I also reiterated my readiness to move forward on the four new initiatives agreed in New York last July:
On the exchange of cultural artefacts, we stand ready to proceed once the curating process has been completed.
On microplastic pollution, I proposed the involvement of experts within a sub-committee of the Technical Committee, with possible cooperation from relevant UN agencies.
On air quality management, I have stated that our focus should be on regional challenges such as Saharan dust clouds, which have direct consequences for public health, tourism, and the environment.
On civil society engagement, we should involve organisations in implementing these initiatives, with their role expanding as cooperation deepens.
These undertakings reflect my conviction that cooperation between the two sides must not remain symbolic, but grow into meaningful projects in areas such as energy, water, trade, electricity interconnection, and tourism.
In short, I believe that our peoples deserve progress that improves their daily lives.
However, I must also speak candidly. There is a troubling inconsistency between the words and deeds of the Greek Cypriot leadership. Since the appointment of the Personal Envoy, we have seen arrests, the targeting of states that engage with us, the misuse of INTERPOL mechanisms, the rejection of assistance we offered during the Limassol fire, and obstructions regarding new crossings. Meanwhile, investment in armaments continues. These actions certainly do not serve trust-building, stability, or enhancing people-to-people contacts, but fuels tension.
I have today reaffirmed my commitment to maintaining a constructive and positive stance. I will continue to pursue initiatives that create a genuine atmosphere of cooperation and I look forward to the convening of a new round of 5+1 informal talks before the end of this year, ideally at a location that does not require another long transatlantic journey.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly comes at a time of continuing conflicts and crises, particularly in the Middle East.
I would also like to reiterate my sincere gratitude to His Excellency, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who, has, once again, in his address to the UN General Assembly last Tuesday, called upon the international community to internationally recognise the TRNC and to put an end to the unfair and inhumane isolation that the Turkish Cypriots have been subjected to for half a century. His principled appeal for fairness and formal recognition is deeply appreciated by my People.
The Turkish Cypriot people are determined to move forward with dignity, equality, and a spirit of cooperation. My firm belief is that through realism, mutual respect, and recognition of our sovereign equality and equal international status, we can create a future of stability and prosperity for both the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot Peoples.
Thank you.
At the outset, I wish to express my gratitude to the Secretary-General, HE António Guterres, for holding this trilateral meeting with my Greek Cypriot counterpart, and the courtesy and hospitality he has extended to us here in New York, as well as for his continued interest in the Cyprus issue.
My participation here today is a clear demonstration of my readiness to remain engaged in dialogue to further people-to-people contacts between the Turkish Cypriot People and the Greek Cypriot People. Since the informal 5+1 meetings held in Geneva and New York under the auspices of the UN Secretary General, I have consistently put forth constructive proposals taking into consideration the interests of both sides on our island.
As is well known, negotiations based on a federal model have all but ended without a solution. These repeated failures have shown beyond doubt that such a basis had been exhausted and in order to reach a solution in Cyprus another path needed to be pursued.
With these thoughts in mind, I had put forward a new and realistic vision, that is based on sovereign equality and equal international status, that envisages two States, coexisting side by side as good neighbours, in a cooperative relationship.
Change will come when the rules of the game are changed.
I call upon the international community to discern the real intentions of the Greek Cypriot side whose leader, stood before the General Assembly a few days ago uttering, words of intolerance, hostility and insults.
In the absence of common ground for the start of new and formal negotiations, I have over the past five years presented in good faith, practical cooperation initiatives -- ranging from proposals on energy, trade, tourism, and the environment, to humanitarian and trust-building measures.
These are designed to foster cooperation, improve daily life, and bring tangible benefits to both the Turkish Cypriot people and Greek Cypriot people.
I invite countries interested in the Cyprus issue to lend their support to more meaningful and ambitious initiatives by urging the Greek Cypriot side to be more forthcoming.
During our discussions today, I once more emphasised my sincere commitment to opening additional border crossing points, in particular at Haspolat and Akıncılar. Such steps would make everyday life easier for ordinary people, alleviating the congestion at the Metehan crossing that is causing hardship to both our peoples. The opening of a new border crossing will, as I reiterated my long-standing position today, enhance people-to-people contact, and demonstrate the real advantages of cooperation.
I also reiterated my readiness to move forward on the four new initiatives agreed in New York last July:
On the exchange of cultural artefacts, we stand ready to proceed once the curating process has been completed.
On microplastic pollution, I proposed the involvement of experts within a sub-committee of the Technical Committee, with possible cooperation from relevant UN agencies.
On air quality management, I have stated that our focus should be on regional challenges such as Saharan dust clouds, which have direct consequences for public health, tourism, and the environment.
On civil society engagement, we should involve organisations in implementing these initiatives, with their role expanding as cooperation deepens.
These undertakings reflect my conviction that cooperation between the two sides must not remain symbolic, but grow into meaningful projects in areas such as energy, water, trade, electricity interconnection, and tourism.
In short, I believe that our peoples deserve progress that improves their daily lives.
However, I must also speak candidly. There is a troubling inconsistency between the words and deeds of the Greek Cypriot leadership. Since the appointment of the Personal Envoy, we have seen arrests, the targeting of states that engage with us, the misuse of INTERPOL mechanisms, the rejection of assistance we offered during the Limassol fire, and obstructions regarding new crossings. Meanwhile, investment in armaments continues. These actions certainly do not serve trust-building, stability, or enhancing people-to-people contacts, but fuels tension.
I have today reaffirmed my commitment to maintaining a constructive and positive stance. I will continue to pursue initiatives that create a genuine atmosphere of cooperation and I look forward to the convening of a new round of 5+1 informal talks before the end of this year, ideally at a location that does not require another long transatlantic journey.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly comes at a time of continuing conflicts and crises, particularly in the Middle East.
I would also like to reiterate my sincere gratitude to His Excellency, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who, has, once again, in his address to the UN General Assembly last Tuesday, called upon the international community to internationally recognise the TRNC and to put an end to the unfair and inhumane isolation that the Turkish Cypriots have been subjected to for half a century. His principled appeal for fairness and formal recognition is deeply appreciated by my People.
The Turkish Cypriot people are determined to move forward with dignity, equality, and a spirit of cooperation. My firm belief is that through realism, mutual respect, and recognition of our sovereign equality and equal international status, we can create a future of stability and prosperity for both the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot Peoples.
Thank you.