President Ersin Tatar participates in a panel at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum where he calls upon the international community to end the inhumane isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People
“Hear the voice of the Turkish Cypriot People and end their inhumane isolation which is a violation of our basic human rights.”
Photos
President Ersin Tatar participated in a panel where he made statements on the Cyprus issue – and called upon the international community to end the inhumane isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People which he said is a violation of their basic human rights.
The statement was made by the President during a session moderated by Yusuf Erim, at the Patara room of the Nest International Convention Centre in Belek on Friday.
President Tatar stated that Turkish Cypriot People are “entitled to enjoy their inherent rights and live in a peaceful, prosperous Cyprus, alongside their Greek Cypriot neighbours in a cooperative relationship”.
In reference to the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format that was convened by the UN Secretary-General in Geneva last month, President Tatar said: “I am currently engaged in talks with the Greek Cypriot Leader on new initiatives for the creation of the culture of cooperation. I have always been open to dialogue and engagement on matters that are mutually beneficial for the good of the Island of Cyprus. The group of initiatives we could agree on in Geneva were the opening of four new crossing points, demining, creation of a technical committee on youth, initiatives on the environment and climate change including the impacts on mining areas, solar energy in the buffer zone and the restoration of cemeteries.”
President Tatar stated that he consented to the appointment of a new Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General and that the sides would meet again in another informal meeting – planned to be held at the end of July.
INHUMANE ISOLATION
President Tatar said: “The Turkish Cypriot People are continuing to be the subject of an inhumane isolation that prevents my people from the enjoyment of their basic human rights, direct flights, direct trade and direct contacts to name a few. I am participating in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum – under the invitation of President Erdoğan whom I wish to express my gratitude -- and I wish to make a fresh new call to the international community to hear our voices against this great injustice, and to help take tangible action on this issue, which is a violation of our human rights.”
He added that there is a need to “separate the political settlement from the human rights violation of the Turkish Cypriot People” adding that “our isolation goes back to 1963 when the Turkish Cypriot People were expelled by force of arms from the state apparatus of the partnership Republic of Cyprus they had co-founded three years earlier together with the Greek Cypriot People on the basis of equality.”
President Tatar explained that the Cyprus issue had started due to the aspiration of the Greek Cypriot side for the unification of the Island of Cyprus with Greece (ENOSIS), and the atrocities they committed against the Turkish Cypriot People in the 1960s and 1970s.
“This is how the isolation of my people began, that has been exacerbated by Resolution 186, endorsed by the UN Security Council in March 1964, which, despite the international agreements, has treated the Greek Cypriot Side as the sole government of the Island. This Resolution has been instrumental in the continued isolation of my people for 62 years. Following a coup d’etat by the Greek Junta which had declared the “Hellenic Republic of Cyprus” on 15 July 1974, the Republic of Türkiye saved my people from extermination by exercising her rights and obligations deriving from international agreements, 20 July 1974,” President Tatar said.
“Since 1968, it was hoped that a settlement could be reached. Decade-after-decade, the negotiations processes have failed to produce a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus. The most remembered of these is the UN Comprehensive Settlement Plan, also known as the Annan Plan, that was supposed to be, as former UN Secretary-General late Kofi Annan put in Bürgenstock, the choice between ‘this settlement, or no settlement at all’.”
Explaining that it was the Greek Cypriot People who rejected the comprehensive solution plan by 76 per cent – which was accepted by the Turkish Cypriot People by 65 per cent in the separately held simultaneous referenda in April 2004, President Tatar said: “There has been a major injustice against the Turkish Cypriot People, who were left out in the cold despite the result of the referenda. We are being subjected to an isolation that is depriving my people from the enjoyment of basic human rights, not being able to have direct flights, direct trade and direct contact. Our youth cannot participate in prominent international sports tournaments or the Olympics under their own flag. The promises to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People by many international actors have not been honoured.”
NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FEDERAL BASIS ARE EXHAUSTED
President Tatar stated that a last and final attempt had been made to settle the Cyprus issue on the basis of a federation – which collapsed in Crans-Montana in July 2017.
“All of these have shown that the reason why a federal settlement has not been reached, decade-after-decade, is because the Greek Cypriot side has no incentive, desire or overarching interest to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriot People on the basis of equality,” President Tatar explained.
President Tatar said that the "factual realities on the ground in the Island of Cyprus is the existence of two democracies, two States and two Peoples – the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People – who each have their own distinct languages, religion, culture and histories".
NEW VISION FOR A REALISTIC TWO STATE SETTLEMENT
President Tatar stated that he is putting forward a new vision and position for a “two State settlement” in the Island of Cyprus that is based on sovereign equality and equal international status.
“Why is the international community, which supports a two State settlement for other parts of the world, not able to support the same model which is a reality in the Island of Cyprus?,” President Tatar said.
“The Turkish Cypriot People are fighters," the President contined. "They elected me and endorsed my position for a two State settlement – which is both realistic and a sustainable basis. What is the point of having a settlement if it is not going to be sustainable?” President Tatar said.
PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN’S CALL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
President Ersin Tatar referred to the addresses made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the UN sessions of the General Assembly.
“I wish to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to President Erdoğan, who has for the past three years, during his speeches at the UN sessions of the General Assembly, invited the international community to end our isolation – which he has rightly stated is tantamount to persecution, and to formally recognise the TRNC, for the countries of the world to forge economic, political and diplomatic relations with us. . . The TRNC is a reality of the Island with its own democracy, Parliament, state institutions, and legal system,” President Tatar said.
President Tatar, who made a call to the international community, said: "Hear the voice of the Turkish Cypriot People and end their inhumane isolation which is a violation of our basic human rights.”
President Tatar added that he supports a two State settlement within the EU and the good neighbourly relations of the two Sides that can coexist in a cooperative relationship.
“Cyprus is of significant geostrategic importance located 40-miles from the coast of the Republic of Türkiye, in the eastern Mediterranean, where major powers are aspiring to have a sphere of influence,” President Tatar added. “It is my hope that this forum acts as a bridge from the present day to the future, and helps reinforce efforts for a sustainable environment between different nations and Peoples, and to boldly underline the need to stop the significant loss of innocent lives.”
President Tatar said he has proposed cooperation areas to the Greek Cypriot Side in the fields of energy, interconnectivity cable to the EU grid via Türkiye, and sharing of water resources. Stating that the Island has drought, the President said Türkiye supports his proposal to share the water being transported to the TRNC via an undersea 80km long pipeline at an annual volume of 75 million m3.
The statement was made by the President during a session moderated by Yusuf Erim, at the Patara room of the Nest International Convention Centre in Belek on Friday.
President Tatar stated that Turkish Cypriot People are “entitled to enjoy their inherent rights and live in a peaceful, prosperous Cyprus, alongside their Greek Cypriot neighbours in a cooperative relationship”.
In reference to the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format that was convened by the UN Secretary-General in Geneva last month, President Tatar said: “I am currently engaged in talks with the Greek Cypriot Leader on new initiatives for the creation of the culture of cooperation. I have always been open to dialogue and engagement on matters that are mutually beneficial for the good of the Island of Cyprus. The group of initiatives we could agree on in Geneva were the opening of four new crossing points, demining, creation of a technical committee on youth, initiatives on the environment and climate change including the impacts on mining areas, solar energy in the buffer zone and the restoration of cemeteries.”
President Tatar stated that he consented to the appointment of a new Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General and that the sides would meet again in another informal meeting – planned to be held at the end of July.
INHUMANE ISOLATION
President Tatar said: “The Turkish Cypriot People are continuing to be the subject of an inhumane isolation that prevents my people from the enjoyment of their basic human rights, direct flights, direct trade and direct contacts to name a few. I am participating in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum – under the invitation of President Erdoğan whom I wish to express my gratitude -- and I wish to make a fresh new call to the international community to hear our voices against this great injustice, and to help take tangible action on this issue, which is a violation of our human rights.”
He added that there is a need to “separate the political settlement from the human rights violation of the Turkish Cypriot People” adding that “our isolation goes back to 1963 when the Turkish Cypriot People were expelled by force of arms from the state apparatus of the partnership Republic of Cyprus they had co-founded three years earlier together with the Greek Cypriot People on the basis of equality.”
President Tatar explained that the Cyprus issue had started due to the aspiration of the Greek Cypriot side for the unification of the Island of Cyprus with Greece (ENOSIS), and the atrocities they committed against the Turkish Cypriot People in the 1960s and 1970s.
“This is how the isolation of my people began, that has been exacerbated by Resolution 186, endorsed by the UN Security Council in March 1964, which, despite the international agreements, has treated the Greek Cypriot Side as the sole government of the Island. This Resolution has been instrumental in the continued isolation of my people for 62 years. Following a coup d’etat by the Greek Junta which had declared the “Hellenic Republic of Cyprus” on 15 July 1974, the Republic of Türkiye saved my people from extermination by exercising her rights and obligations deriving from international agreements, 20 July 1974,” President Tatar said.
“Since 1968, it was hoped that a settlement could be reached. Decade-after-decade, the negotiations processes have failed to produce a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus. The most remembered of these is the UN Comprehensive Settlement Plan, also known as the Annan Plan, that was supposed to be, as former UN Secretary-General late Kofi Annan put in Bürgenstock, the choice between ‘this settlement, or no settlement at all’.”
Explaining that it was the Greek Cypriot People who rejected the comprehensive solution plan by 76 per cent – which was accepted by the Turkish Cypriot People by 65 per cent in the separately held simultaneous referenda in April 2004, President Tatar said: “There has been a major injustice against the Turkish Cypriot People, who were left out in the cold despite the result of the referenda. We are being subjected to an isolation that is depriving my people from the enjoyment of basic human rights, not being able to have direct flights, direct trade and direct contact. Our youth cannot participate in prominent international sports tournaments or the Olympics under their own flag. The promises to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People by many international actors have not been honoured.”
NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FEDERAL BASIS ARE EXHAUSTED
President Tatar stated that a last and final attempt had been made to settle the Cyprus issue on the basis of a federation – which collapsed in Crans-Montana in July 2017.
“All of these have shown that the reason why a federal settlement has not been reached, decade-after-decade, is because the Greek Cypriot side has no incentive, desire or overarching interest to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriot People on the basis of equality,” President Tatar explained.
President Tatar said that the "factual realities on the ground in the Island of Cyprus is the existence of two democracies, two States and two Peoples – the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People – who each have their own distinct languages, religion, culture and histories".
NEW VISION FOR A REALISTIC TWO STATE SETTLEMENT
President Tatar stated that he is putting forward a new vision and position for a “two State settlement” in the Island of Cyprus that is based on sovereign equality and equal international status.
“Why is the international community, which supports a two State settlement for other parts of the world, not able to support the same model which is a reality in the Island of Cyprus?,” President Tatar said.
“The Turkish Cypriot People are fighters," the President contined. "They elected me and endorsed my position for a two State settlement – which is both realistic and a sustainable basis. What is the point of having a settlement if it is not going to be sustainable?” President Tatar said.
PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN’S CALL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
President Ersin Tatar referred to the addresses made by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the UN sessions of the General Assembly.
“I wish to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to President Erdoğan, who has for the past three years, during his speeches at the UN sessions of the General Assembly, invited the international community to end our isolation – which he has rightly stated is tantamount to persecution, and to formally recognise the TRNC, for the countries of the world to forge economic, political and diplomatic relations with us. . . The TRNC is a reality of the Island with its own democracy, Parliament, state institutions, and legal system,” President Tatar said.
President Tatar, who made a call to the international community, said: "Hear the voice of the Turkish Cypriot People and end their inhumane isolation which is a violation of our basic human rights.”
President Tatar added that he supports a two State settlement within the EU and the good neighbourly relations of the two Sides that can coexist in a cooperative relationship.
“Cyprus is of significant geostrategic importance located 40-miles from the coast of the Republic of Türkiye, in the eastern Mediterranean, where major powers are aspiring to have a sphere of influence,” President Tatar added. “It is my hope that this forum acts as a bridge from the present day to the future, and helps reinforce efforts for a sustainable environment between different nations and Peoples, and to boldly underline the need to stop the significant loss of innocent lives.”
President Tatar said he has proposed cooperation areas to the Greek Cypriot Side in the fields of energy, interconnectivity cable to the EU grid via Türkiye, and sharing of water resources. Stating that the Island has drought, the President said Türkiye supports his proposal to share the water being transported to the TRNC via an undersea 80km long pipeline at an annual volume of 75 million m3.