President Ersin Tatar has firmly stated that continuing with a federal state in Cyprus is no longer feasible.
Speaking at the “International Cyprus Symposium on Ongoing Issues and Search for Solutions on the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation,” hosted in Istanbul under the auspices of the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) Numan Kurtulmuş, Tatar emphasized the existence of two distinct peoples, democracies, structures, authorities, and states in Cyprus.
Tatar criticized the international community for ignoring the sovereignty rights of the Turkish Cypriot people. He asserted that the TRNC’s sovereignty is a right that has been overlooked by the global community.
Reflecting on the events leading up to the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, Tatar pointed out the suffering endured by Turkish Cypriots until that significant day when oppression and pain were halted.
During the symposium, Tatar highlighted the establishment of a Turkish state in the Eastern Mediterranean as a monumental success story.
He stressed the importance of maintaining control over maritime and airspace areas in the region, vowing to continue their struggle to preserve these rights.
Tatar criticized the international community’s continued imposition of embargoes on the Turkish Cypriot people, labelling these actions as insincere.
He insisted that a sustainable solution on the island could only be achieved through the sovereignty of its peoples, free from all forms of pressure.
Tatar underscored that sovereign equality and equal international status are prerequisites for the continuation of negotiations. He lamented that the negotiations based on federalism had failed to grant the Turkish Cypriots their rightful sovereignty.
Tatar pointed out that while the Greek Cypriots and the British maintain sovereignty over their bases on the island, the Turkish Cypriots are denied their sovereignty.
This, he argued, is why they will continue to fight for a two-state solution.
Tatar warned of the significant dangers awaiting the Turkish Cypriot people under a single sovereignty and single umbrella concept.
He cautioned that a federal solution could lead to Türkiye withdrawing from the island and being excluded from the Eastern Mediterranean due to its non-membership in the European Union.
In contrast, a two-state solution ensures the presence of Türkiye as a guarantor and the continued presence of Turkish troops.
“There are two distinct peoples, two distinct democracies, two distinct structures, two distinct authorities, and two distinct states in Cyprus,” Tatar declared, reiterating that a federal state is no longer viable for a lasting and sustainable agreement.
During his visit to Istanbul, President Tatar also met with the Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş.
Kurtulmuş during the meeting expressed his participation in the events held in the TRNC to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation and extended his congratulations to the people of Cyprus on their Peace and Freedom Day celebrated on July 20.
President Tatar thanked Kurtulmuş for the resolution passed in the Turkish Grand National Assembly commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation.