President Ersin Tatar holds a meeting with All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
“The UK, as a guarantor power, needs to review their unequal treatment of the Turkish Cypriot People.”
President Ersin Tatar has called upon the new British Government to review its policy towards the Turkish Cypriot People, to treat them equally and put an end to the inhuman isolation.
The President made the call during a meeting that was hosted in his honour by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (APPG TRNC), on November 7, 2022 at the House of Lords at the Parliament in London.
President Tatar, who began his speech by paying tribute to the APPG TRNC for all their hard work over the years in support of the TRNC, added that “I greatly appreciate your support to the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriot cause for freedom and justice, and we look forward to welcoming you to the TRNC soon”.
Referring to his new vision with regards to how sustainable peace and stability can be reached in Cyprus that takes into consideration the geopolitical environment and realities on the ground, President Tatar stated: “I won the election on the ticket of putting forward a new vision on how to settle the Cyprus issue, that is based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two Sides. The basis of two States, co-existing side-by-side in a cooperative relationship is practical, realistic and much less complicated. In short, I am proposing one island with two independent States, cooperating with each other on a basis to be negotiated.”
Underlining the need for the international community to treat the Turkish Cypriot Side on an equal footing, the President said: “Equality means the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities”.
President Tatar explained that the “Turkish Cypriot people are one of the co-owners of the island, are a sovereign people and have the right to self-determination. . .we have inherent rights on the island”.
The President stated that despite the arduous efforts of the Turkish Side for a federal based settlement, the Greek Cypriot Side, who have no incentive to share power and prosperity on the basis of equality with the Turkish Cypriot Side, have rejected 15 federal based plans and ideas over many decades. He said the most remembered of these rejections were the one in 2004 in the separately held simultaneous referenda that was held on a UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan, and the last rejection in 2017 in Crans-Montana.
The President referred to the statements of the previous British officials which confirms the status of Turkish Cypriots prior to the signing of treaties that established the partnership State in 1960, where he said: “It was in this very Parliament, where on December 19, 1956, Britain’s Secretary of State for the Colonies, Alan Lennox-Boyd, informed the House of Commons in a pledge reiterated by the then British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan on June 26, 1958, that: “It will be the purpose of Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that any exercise of self-determination should be effected in such a manner that the Turkish Cypriot community, no less than the Greek Cypriot community, shall, in the special circumstances of Cyprus, be given the freedom to decide for themselves their future status. In other words, Her Majesty’s Government recognise[s] that the exercise of self-determination in such a mixed population must include partition among the eventual options.”
NEITHER SIDE CAN RULE OVER THE OTHER
President Tatar pointed out that there is no “Cypriot nation”, but two sovereign and equal peoples – and the Turkish Cypriot People are as sovereign as the Greek Cypriots, and neither side can rule or represent the other.
“We were kicked out of the partnership republic in 1963, just three years after it was established, through force of arms, and my people were subjected to island-wide attacks whilst the Greek and Greek Cypriot duo were attempting to annex Cyprus to Greece. It was wrong for the UN to make the resolution (186) recognising the Greek Cypriots as the sole government of Cyprus. This political decision providing the Greek Cypriots with an advantage and leaving them no incentive or need to desire an agreement, the fact that they got away with rejecting 15 plans and ideas for a solution as well as being rewarded with the EU membership, the lack of action by the international community to empower the Turkish Cypriots politically and economically or to honour their promises to end our isolation, is the reason why Greek Cypriots have proven time and time again, that their aim is only to perpetuate the status quo. They are completely happy and enjoy, albeit unjustly, their hijacked international status at the expense of Turkish Cypriots,” the President said.
President Tatar also referred to the statements he made during the 5+UN informal meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, in April 2021:
“As I stated in Geneva at the 5+UN informal meeting and what I repeatedly tell many international diplomats is that our struggle for freedom and to find our rightful place in the international arena as one of the co-owners of the island of Cyprus, is still continuing. The Turkish Cypriot People have established a State, a Republic by using their inherent right to self-determination, after many trials and tribulations.”
Pointing to the historical call made by the Republic of Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the UN General Assembly on September 20, (2022) for the international community to formally recognise the TRNC and put an end to the inhuman persecution of Turkish Cypriots, President Tatar said that this call has strengthened the vision for a two State settlement.
FORMER BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY JACK STRAW SUPPORTS A TWO STATE SETTLEMENT
President Tatar explained that “even though we have been left without an international status and suffered all kinds of measures of isolation, we have done our best despite these unjust restrictions, to educate our young generation and to provide them a safe environment to grow up in. We have also managed to develop our economy, despite the inhuman restrictions imposed on us”.
He added that a common ground for sustainable settlement in Cyprus can only be realised when, as inherent equals, the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two Sides are confirmed and equilibrium between them established.
He said that insisting on an unfeasible federation structure, for which the Turkish Cypriots have withdrawn their consent, as a settlement model, only serves the perpetuation of the status quo which the Greek Cypriot Side have always sought to achieve.
President Tatar added that former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who was serving as Foreign Secretary in 2004 when the Greek Cypriots voted against a solution in the separately held referenda, has publicly come out in favour of a two State settlement.
President Tatar pointed out that promises to end the Turkish Cypriot inhuman isolation by many international actors including late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan; Council of Europe; British, European and US officials, have not been honoured.
MY SIX COOPERATION PROPOSALS
President Tatar explained that on July 1 and 8, 2022, he conveyed six cooperation proposals that were sent to the Greek Cypriot leader, via the UN Secretary-General.
President Tatar explained: “The first area of concrete cooperation is on hydrocarbons resources around the island of Cyprus, which are co-owned by Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. The second field is on establishing electricity interconnectivity of the Island with Europe through Türkiye, which is already connected and is most feasible. The third area is about transition to green energy by maximising the utilisation of this technology. The fourth area is on the sharing of freshwater resources that is currently piped from Türkiye to our Geçitköy dam via an 80km undersea pipeline, at the rate of 75 million m3 per annum. The fifth area is on working together to free the island of Cyprus from landmines and to eliminate the risks and threats they constitute to both Peoples. The sixth area of cooperation is on striving to curb irregular migration, which is a humanitarian issue and a global phenomenon, but which has destined the island, through the establishment of a joint mechanism under the auspices and with the facilitation of the United Nations.”
The President stated his disappointment that the Greek Cypriot Side has still not formally responded to these constructive cooperation proposals.
“The merry-go round must end,” the President said. “We need a fresh agenda and fresh opportunities for peace, security and prosperity.”
ROLE OF UK
President Tatar called upon the new UK Government and all Parliamentarians to take a fresh look at the UK’s lack of equal treatment of Turkish Cypriots. It is time to start to normalise relations.
“There are an estimated 400,000 Turkish Cypriots living in the UK and 20,000 British residents in the TRNC,” the President said. “Whether the UK formally recognises the TRNC or not, we are frustrated at the lack of fairness, justice and equal treatment which does not conform to the great British values or its obligations towards Turkish Cypriots as one of the Guarantor powers.”
Explaining that he is a graduate at Jesus College, Cambridge, the President stated that he “has always embraced the great British fundamental values wholeheartedly, particularly those on fairness and justice!”
“Hence, there is a need for the new British Government, and the new Prime Minister (Rishi Sunak), to take bold steps, to speak to us as well, to listen to both sides, and to adopt a fair and just approach with regards to the equal treatment of Turkish Cypriot People. When UK officials visit the island of Cyprus, we hope that the basic principles of equality and respect will be shown, and that they will also meet us and listen to us. After all, this is a dispute that has many parties and stakeholders. Diplomacy necessitates that we speak to each other and try to understand each other. Isolating one party does not serve peace.”
President Tatar stated that it was his expectation that following Brexit, the UK would exercise flexibility to trade directly with Northern Cyprus. “The UK enjoys direct trade with many other unrecognised countries such as Taiwan,” the President said, adding that “Cyprus constitutes a sui generis model. However, the UK should spearhead fresh efforts at empowering Turkish Cypriots politically and economically, because it will have a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of British nationals. It is time to end our isolation and to enable our youth from participating in international sports tournaments. Imagine, our youth cannot even play in the Olympics under their own identity. Sport is supposed to be a celebration of the togetherness of humankind.
What legal, moral or ethical reason is there that justifies our youth not being allowed to take part in these tournaments and prevents them from performing, showing and developing their skills?” the President said.
The President made the call during a meeting that was hosted in his honour by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (APPG TRNC), on November 7, 2022 at the House of Lords at the Parliament in London.
President Tatar, who began his speech by paying tribute to the APPG TRNC for all their hard work over the years in support of the TRNC, added that “I greatly appreciate your support to the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriot cause for freedom and justice, and we look forward to welcoming you to the TRNC soon”.
Referring to his new vision with regards to how sustainable peace and stability can be reached in Cyprus that takes into consideration the geopolitical environment and realities on the ground, President Tatar stated: “I won the election on the ticket of putting forward a new vision on how to settle the Cyprus issue, that is based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two Sides. The basis of two States, co-existing side-by-side in a cooperative relationship is practical, realistic and much less complicated. In short, I am proposing one island with two independent States, cooperating with each other on a basis to be negotiated.”
Underlining the need for the international community to treat the Turkish Cypriot Side on an equal footing, the President said: “Equality means the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities”.
President Tatar explained that the “Turkish Cypriot people are one of the co-owners of the island, are a sovereign people and have the right to self-determination. . .we have inherent rights on the island”.
The President stated that despite the arduous efforts of the Turkish Side for a federal based settlement, the Greek Cypriot Side, who have no incentive to share power and prosperity on the basis of equality with the Turkish Cypriot Side, have rejected 15 federal based plans and ideas over many decades. He said the most remembered of these rejections were the one in 2004 in the separately held simultaneous referenda that was held on a UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan, and the last rejection in 2017 in Crans-Montana.
The President referred to the statements of the previous British officials which confirms the status of Turkish Cypriots prior to the signing of treaties that established the partnership State in 1960, where he said: “It was in this very Parliament, where on December 19, 1956, Britain’s Secretary of State for the Colonies, Alan Lennox-Boyd, informed the House of Commons in a pledge reiterated by the then British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan on June 26, 1958, that: “It will be the purpose of Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that any exercise of self-determination should be effected in such a manner that the Turkish Cypriot community, no less than the Greek Cypriot community, shall, in the special circumstances of Cyprus, be given the freedom to decide for themselves their future status. In other words, Her Majesty’s Government recognise[s] that the exercise of self-determination in such a mixed population must include partition among the eventual options.”
NEITHER SIDE CAN RULE OVER THE OTHER
President Tatar pointed out that there is no “Cypriot nation”, but two sovereign and equal peoples – and the Turkish Cypriot People are as sovereign as the Greek Cypriots, and neither side can rule or represent the other.
“We were kicked out of the partnership republic in 1963, just three years after it was established, through force of arms, and my people were subjected to island-wide attacks whilst the Greek and Greek Cypriot duo were attempting to annex Cyprus to Greece. It was wrong for the UN to make the resolution (186) recognising the Greek Cypriots as the sole government of Cyprus. This political decision providing the Greek Cypriots with an advantage and leaving them no incentive or need to desire an agreement, the fact that they got away with rejecting 15 plans and ideas for a solution as well as being rewarded with the EU membership, the lack of action by the international community to empower the Turkish Cypriots politically and economically or to honour their promises to end our isolation, is the reason why Greek Cypriots have proven time and time again, that their aim is only to perpetuate the status quo. They are completely happy and enjoy, albeit unjustly, their hijacked international status at the expense of Turkish Cypriots,” the President said.
President Tatar also referred to the statements he made during the 5+UN informal meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, in April 2021:
“As I stated in Geneva at the 5+UN informal meeting and what I repeatedly tell many international diplomats is that our struggle for freedom and to find our rightful place in the international arena as one of the co-owners of the island of Cyprus, is still continuing. The Turkish Cypriot People have established a State, a Republic by using their inherent right to self-determination, after many trials and tribulations.”
Pointing to the historical call made by the Republic of Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the UN General Assembly on September 20, (2022) for the international community to formally recognise the TRNC and put an end to the inhuman persecution of Turkish Cypriots, President Tatar said that this call has strengthened the vision for a two State settlement.
FORMER BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY JACK STRAW SUPPORTS A TWO STATE SETTLEMENT
President Tatar explained that “even though we have been left without an international status and suffered all kinds of measures of isolation, we have done our best despite these unjust restrictions, to educate our young generation and to provide them a safe environment to grow up in. We have also managed to develop our economy, despite the inhuman restrictions imposed on us”.
He added that a common ground for sustainable settlement in Cyprus can only be realised when, as inherent equals, the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two Sides are confirmed and equilibrium between them established.
He said that insisting on an unfeasible federation structure, for which the Turkish Cypriots have withdrawn their consent, as a settlement model, only serves the perpetuation of the status quo which the Greek Cypriot Side have always sought to achieve.
President Tatar added that former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who was serving as Foreign Secretary in 2004 when the Greek Cypriots voted against a solution in the separately held referenda, has publicly come out in favour of a two State settlement.
President Tatar pointed out that promises to end the Turkish Cypriot inhuman isolation by many international actors including late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan; Council of Europe; British, European and US officials, have not been honoured.
MY SIX COOPERATION PROPOSALS
President Tatar explained that on July 1 and 8, 2022, he conveyed six cooperation proposals that were sent to the Greek Cypriot leader, via the UN Secretary-General.
President Tatar explained: “The first area of concrete cooperation is on hydrocarbons resources around the island of Cyprus, which are co-owned by Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. The second field is on establishing electricity interconnectivity of the Island with Europe through Türkiye, which is already connected and is most feasible. The third area is about transition to green energy by maximising the utilisation of this technology. The fourth area is on the sharing of freshwater resources that is currently piped from Türkiye to our Geçitköy dam via an 80km undersea pipeline, at the rate of 75 million m3 per annum. The fifth area is on working together to free the island of Cyprus from landmines and to eliminate the risks and threats they constitute to both Peoples. The sixth area of cooperation is on striving to curb irregular migration, which is a humanitarian issue and a global phenomenon, but which has destined the island, through the establishment of a joint mechanism under the auspices and with the facilitation of the United Nations.”
The President stated his disappointment that the Greek Cypriot Side has still not formally responded to these constructive cooperation proposals.
“The merry-go round must end,” the President said. “We need a fresh agenda and fresh opportunities for peace, security and prosperity.”
ROLE OF UK
President Tatar called upon the new UK Government and all Parliamentarians to take a fresh look at the UK’s lack of equal treatment of Turkish Cypriots. It is time to start to normalise relations.
“There are an estimated 400,000 Turkish Cypriots living in the UK and 20,000 British residents in the TRNC,” the President said. “Whether the UK formally recognises the TRNC or not, we are frustrated at the lack of fairness, justice and equal treatment which does not conform to the great British values or its obligations towards Turkish Cypriots as one of the Guarantor powers.”
Explaining that he is a graduate at Jesus College, Cambridge, the President stated that he “has always embraced the great British fundamental values wholeheartedly, particularly those on fairness and justice!”
“Hence, there is a need for the new British Government, and the new Prime Minister (Rishi Sunak), to take bold steps, to speak to us as well, to listen to both sides, and to adopt a fair and just approach with regards to the equal treatment of Turkish Cypriot People. When UK officials visit the island of Cyprus, we hope that the basic principles of equality and respect will be shown, and that they will also meet us and listen to us. After all, this is a dispute that has many parties and stakeholders. Diplomacy necessitates that we speak to each other and try to understand each other. Isolating one party does not serve peace.”
President Tatar stated that it was his expectation that following Brexit, the UK would exercise flexibility to trade directly with Northern Cyprus. “The UK enjoys direct trade with many other unrecognised countries such as Taiwan,” the President said, adding that “Cyprus constitutes a sui generis model. However, the UK should spearhead fresh efforts at empowering Turkish Cypriots politically and economically, because it will have a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of British nationals. It is time to end our isolation and to enable our youth from participating in international sports tournaments. Imagine, our youth cannot even play in the Olympics under their own identity. Sport is supposed to be a celebration of the togetherness of humankind.
What legal, moral or ethical reason is there that justifies our youth not being allowed to take part in these tournaments and prevents them from performing, showing and developing their skills?” the President said.