Parliament convened an extraordinary session on Monday, centered on President Ersin Tatar’s briefing on the Cyprus issue.
The meeting, held behind closed doors, saw President Tatar updating members of parliament on the latest developments, listening to their views, and answering their questions.
In a statement following the meeting, President Tatar declared, “Our current stance, supported by Türkiye, is towards the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).”
Parliament convened on Monday morning with President Ersin Tatar arriving at the Republic’s Assembly and being welcomed by Speaker Zorlu Töre.
Accompanying Tatar were his Undersecretary Okan Donangil and Special Representative Güneş Onar.
Prime Minister Ünal Üstel also greeted Tatar before the meeting commenced.
The extraordinary session, held under the second paragraph of Article 60 of the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure, was called upon the request of certain members from the main opposition Republican Turkish Party.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, President Tatar emphasized the confidentiality of the discussions.
He highlighted that talks and negotiations on the Cyprus issue, ongoing since 1968, have yet to yield definitive results.
Tatar pointed to the potential hope offered by the two-state solution.
Discussing his recent meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Representative for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, Tatar noted the absence of a common ground for restarting the negotiation process.
“Our current stance, which is fully supported and advocated by Ankara, is the recognition of the TRNC. We discussed both past and present issues during the meeting. We must remain patient. Strengthening our bilateral relations with Azerbaijan is crucial,” Tatar stated.
He underscored the rights of Turkish Cypriots to sovereign equality and reaffirmed the continuation of their just struggle.
“With the success of our new policy, wherever we are, people will have the opportunity to learn the realities of the TRNC. This policy is gaining traction. There are two separate peoples and two separate states in the TRNC. The acceptance of the TRNC’s recognition is our greatest hope,” Tatar concluded.
Meanwhile, the leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party Tufan Erhürman criticized the meeting’s effectiveness and President Tatar’s approach, arguing it does not reflect the will of the TRNC people.
Erhürman emphasized the importance of the negotiations on behalf of the TRNC people and advocated for constructive measures to build trust.