President Ersin Tatar on Wednesday said that Türkiye’s guarantees were indispensable for the Turkish Cypriot people, their security, freedom and existence on the island.
Tatar was speaking during a live broadcast on GB News, hosted by Martin Daubney, as part of his contacts in London.
During the program, President Tatar explained that his visit to the UK was to attend various events marking the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Peace Operation in Cyprus, which was conducted in response to the coup orchestrated by the Greek Junta against the Cyprus Constitution.
Explaining that Türkiye’s intervention as a guarantor power was prompted by Greece’s attempt to annex the island, Tatar said that since 1974 Turkish Cypriots have consolidated their position with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
“Meanwhile, Greek Cypriots have established what is known as the ‘Republic of Cyprus,’ a state that is essentially composed entirely of Greek Cypriots,” he said.
Tatar recalled that when the UK withdrew from Cyprus, it had promised Turkish Cypriots equal status with Greek Cypriots in the newly established Republic of Cyprus.
However, he noted that in 1963, President Makarios declared that the republic’s formation was merely a step towards the island’s annexation to Greece (ENOSIS). Turkish Cypriots were subsequently forced out of the state, awaiting intervention from Türkiye.
Tatar expressed frustration that, despite supporting the UN Comprehensive Solution Plan (Annan Plan), Turkish Cypriots were left outside the EU, while Greek Cypriots, who rejected the plan, were granted EU membership. Promises made to Turkish Cypriots—that isolation and restrictions would be lifted if they supported the plan—were not fulfilled.
He highlighted the ongoing unjust embargoes and isolation measures affecting Turkish Cypriots, including restrictions on direct flights, trade, and contact. Tatar criticized Greek Cypriots for using their EU position to further tighten these embargoes, stating, “They are trying to impose such a solution on us. We will never accept an imposed solution.”
Regarding his UK visit and interactions with British officials, Tatar pointed out that over 350,000 Turkish Cypriots live in the UK, and around 20,000 British citizens reside in Northern Cyprus. Despite strong connections and support from many in the UK, Tatar noted that inequality towards Turkish Cypriots persists and called on the British government to address these issues.
He reminded the UK government of its responsibilities and obligations as one of Cyprus’s guarantor powers towards both Turkish and Greek Cypriots.
Tatar also called for a review of the unequal treatment faced by the Turkish Cypriot people and urged an end to the injustice. “The United Kingdom is well aware of the historical context in Cyprus. We demand that the UK respects our fundamental rights. One of the greatest injustices is the prohibition of direct flights. The UK needs to reconsider its policy on this issue. Easing our isolation would contribute to peace,” he said.
Regarding a new vision for a solution, President Tatar stated: “For the past 60 years, we have effectively governed ourselves as a state, and so have the Greek Cypriots. After all these years, reunification is impossible. Federal negotiations have been ongoing for over 50 years, none of which reached a solution. These failures were evident in the 2004 Annan Plan and most recently at Crans-Montana in July 2017. All these processes failed because Greek Cypriots are recognized as a state in the EU. Simply put, Greek Cypriots are not willing to share power over the island’s administration, wealth, and resources with Turkish Cypriots. Federal negotiations have exhausted themselves over the years. Our vision now is for a two-state solution in Cyprus. Let’s cooperate on energy, water, natural resources, and many other areas; this way, it will be a win-win for both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots,” he said.
Speaking earlier at a roundtable meeting organized by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Friendship Group members of the UK Parliament, Tatar emphasized the importance of a “realistic, feasible, and sustainable solution” for Cyprus, which he said could only be achieved based on two states.
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