The Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu has said that there is no change in the Turkish Cypriot side’s policy for a two-state solution.
Ertuğruloğlu emphasized once again, in statements to the TAK news agency, that the new vision of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus eliminated the possibility of a possible new negotiations process which could resume from where things left off at Crans Montana.
He also highlighted that the six-month term of the newly appointed personal envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General is sufficient to determine whether a common ground exists between the two sides on the island.
“We have conveyed our expectations regarding the appointment of the Secretary General’s personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, who will start her duties shortly, will fulfil her mission within a period not exceeding 6 months to determine whether a common ground exists between the two sides on the island,” he said.
Ertuğruloğlu reminded that no common ground currently existed between the two sides on the Cyprus issue and that the Greek Cypriot side had been trying to deceive the world for the past 50 years with the lie that they wanted a settlement in Cyprus based on the so-called ‘federation’ model.
Referring to the last round of talks in Crans-Montana in 2017, the TRNC Foreign Minister recalled that this attempt was considered by all relevant parties as a ‘final effort.’
“During Crans Montana, the Greek Cypriot side once again rejected establishing a partnership based on power and wealth sharing with the Turkish Cypriot side. Thus, the possibility of reaching an agreement on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation came to an end with the failure of that conference,” he said.
“After this failure, the UN Secretary-General called on the parties to ‘think outside the box.’ In response to this call, the Turkish Cypriot side developed a new vision and announced its new proposal to the world at the informal 5+UN conference held in Geneva on April 27-29, 2021. We advocate for a cooperation model based on the existence of two independent and sovereign states on the island, considering the current realities,” Ertuğruloğlu continued.
Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot side’s new vision essentially includes the confirmation of the ‘sovereign equality and equal international status,’ which is the inherent right of the Turkish Cypriot people, he emphasized that this new vision, in order to start official negotiations, highlights the need for a new foundation based on cooperation within good neighbourly relations that both sides can accept.
Ertuğruloğlu said, “The new vision of the Turkish Cypriot side eliminates the possibility of a possible new negotiations process ‘resuming from where it left off’ and emphasizes that a new process should start if the status inequality between the two sides is resolved.”
He expressed the view that a six-month period was sufficient for the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy to determine whether a common ground existed between the two sides on the island.
“At the end of this period, our expectation from the Personal Representative is to publish a report that clearly records the results she reaches regarding the realities on the island and whether there is a common ground, containing unbiased and realistic suggestions for future steps. Our approval of the appointment of the Personal Representative by the UN Secretary-General does not mean there is any change in our new state policy on the Cyprus issue,” Ertuğruloğlu said.
Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu said that the repeated calls made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the UN General Assembly for the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus were proof of this clear and determined stance.
He also expressed the view that the Turkish Cypriot side considered the appointment of a personal envoy as an opportunity to once again record the new vision of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on the Cyprus issue.