President Ersin Tatar receives US Ambassador Julie D. Fisher
“I explained our new policy that is based on the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot People and explained why negotiations on a federal basis has been exhausted.”
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President Ersin Tatar received the new US Ambassador Julie D. Fisher at the Presidency, where he put forward the position of the Turkish Cypriot Side with regards to the Cyprus issue.
Speaking to the press following the one-hour long meeting that was also attended by Special Representative M. Ergün Olgun and members of the negotiating team, President Tatar said: “I welcomed Ambassador Fisher, who has newly arrived on the island of Cyprus, and explained the new policy of the Turkish Cypriot Side that is based on the need for the reaffirmation of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot People, which is our inherent right.”
The President added that “the Turkish Cypriot Side is prepared to start new formal negotiations only upon the reaffirmation of our sovereign equality and equal international status. We explained the reasons why countless negotiations processes, spanning half-a-century for a federal-based settlement, have been exhausted due to the mentality of the Greek Cypriot Side, that is primarily based on dominating the Turkish Cypriot People”.
Lifting of US arms embargo does not serve peace
President Tatar stated that he also raised the issue of the US lifting of the arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot Administration. “I explained that lifting the arms embargo is not serving the interests of any side, and certainly not peace and stability, and is further incentivising the Greek Cypriot Side towards militarisation, which will lead to the escalation of tensions between the two Sides and indeed in the eastern Mediterranean,” President Tatar said.
Explaining his support to the work of the bilateral technical committees and his openness to dialog, President Tatar said he had explained the need for the two Sides to have a structured cooperative relationship, adding that “I expressed my openness to discussing new projects that are of benefit to the two Sides, and explained our six-point cooperation proposals that I conveyed to the Greek Cypriot leader in July 2022.”
President Tatar added that discussions were also held with regards to “cooperation on the natural resources surrounding the island of Cyprus, that is internationally accepted as being co-owned by the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People”.
US can give change and direction to Cyprus issue
“The US is the most powerful member of the UN Security Council,” President Tatar said. “The US understands the Cyprus issue very well and is able to give direction and change on these sorts of matters. We explained our win-win approach for sustainable peace and stability. We explained the meaning of two States, sovereign equality, whereby each Side are masters of their own home, and are able to cooperate on different matters in peace. Our position takes into account the previous experiences and failures, and will also break the unacceptable status quo. We have asked for the US to re-evaluate the situation and the new policy of the Turkish Cypriot Side and communicate this to the UN,” President Tatar said.
The President explained that the Turkish Cypriot People have “withdrawn their consent for federal based negotiations,” adding that “UN Resolutions have previously been passed. However, there has since been water under the bridge, which we explained to Ambassador Fisher with clear examples, including the Greek Cypriot rejection of the UN Comprehensive [Annan] Plan of 2004 and again in Crans-Montana in 2017.
“We underlined the need for the promises made by international actors to be honoured and for the isolation on the Turkish Cypriot People – that is preventing them from trading directly and having direct flights to the TRNC, to be ended. We explained the great injustice this isolation, which is also against individual and collective human rights, is having on our youth and sports people. It is time to end these injustices on Turkish Cypriot People,” the President said.
We oppose EU involvement in Cyprus issue
President Tatar underlined that the Greek Cypriot Side is now trying to “involve the EU” in the Cyprus issue, adding: “I explained to the Ambassador, that the EU is not a neutral party and always favours the Greek Cypriot Side. The EU, without even asking Turkish Cypriots who are co-owners of this island, unilaterally accepted the Greek Cypriot into the bloc in the name of the whole island, and has never honoured the promises to end our isolation.”
President Tatar stated: “We explained the need for the two Sides in Cyprus to be treated on the basis of equality, meaning equal status, equal treatment and equal opportunities. Our demand for sovereign equality is about addressing the lack of an even playing field between the two Sides, which is the root cause as to why a freely reached and negotiated settlement has not been found, because this is providing the Greek Cypriot Side a great comfort zone, whilst our Side remains isolated. It is time to break this vicious circle,” the President said.