President Ersin Tatar said that in order to sit for official negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side a framework must be determined.
“The acceptance of sovereign equality and equal international status is a condition to return to the negotiations table” said President Tatar.
President Ersin Tatar, who is holding a variety of contacts in London this week, spoke to the Anatolian News Agency (AA) correspondent.
Being asked a question regarding the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides stance towards the Turkish Cypriot people and whether or not he would accept their sovereign equality, President Ersin Tatar said that if the Greek Cypriot leader does not accept the Turkish Cypriot peoples’ sovereign equality there would be no point in returning to the negotiating table.
Noting that within the scope of his contacts in London, he met with British parliamentarians and journalists and explained the Turkish Cypriot peoples struggle and national cause, Tatar also touched upon the attempts made to prevent his entry to a university where he was to give a conference on the Cyprus issue.
“The protest action was an attempt to prevent the Turkish Cypriot peoples’ voice from being heard” said Tatar.
“This insult that was directed at me is in fact disrespecting the Turkish Cypriot people, and this insult and attack is actually made against the whole Turkic nation. Hopefully the other party will learn a lesson from this” said Tatar.
Noting that he will continue to explain the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot people, Tatar emphasized that if there is to be an agreement in Cyprus, it must be in accordance with the principle of two separate states.
He said that no one can force the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to accept just any agreement.
Upon being asked a question relating to whether or not any dynamism is expected in the Cyprus talks now that there is a new Greek Cypriot leader, Tatar reiterated that in order for there to be a return to official negotiations then a framework needs to be drawn and the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people must be established so that common ground can be formed.
Reminding that Christodoulides was elected with the support of extremist elements, had voted against the Annan Plan and played a major role in ending the negotiations in Crans-Montana, Tatar said “In that respect, we don’t think he has anything different to say. If they want a return to official negotiations then they need to accept our conditions”.