President Ersin Tatar is continuing with his contacts in New York and during these meetings he is conveying that negotiations in Cyprus cannot start until sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriots are registered.

President Tatar received the Chairman of the Republican People’s Party of Türkiye (CHP) Özgür Özel within the scope of his contacts in New York.

President Ersin Tatar came together with the leader of the CHP Özgür Özel at the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus representation office at the Turkevi in New York.

Expressing his pleasure at hosting Özel, Tatar emphasized the significance of having a representative office for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, both politically and spiritually.

President Tatar also mentioned their shared involvement in the Cyprus National Cause and stated that he was pleased that Özel walked out of the Socialist International Meeting held in New York due to the AKEL representative’s assertion that Türkiye was an occupier in Cyprus.

Explaining that they commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation and expressed gratitude to the leaders who ordered the operation, Tatar said that the Greek Cypriot side saw the Republic of Cyprus, which was established in 1960, as a steppingstone to Enosis and attacked the Turkish Cypriots and noted that the Turkish Cypriots have been under isolation since 1963.

He also highlighted the isolation faced by Turkish Cypriots since 1963 and criticized Greek Cypriots for acting as if they represent the entire island.

President Tatar highlighted the continuous deception by the Greek Cypriots and the victimization of the Turkish Cypriots who live under embargoes and isolations.

He expressed satisfaction with the unanimous adoption of a new political declaration in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, calling for the lifting of embargoes and the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

President Tatar emphasized the importance of sovereign equality and equal international status as prerequisites for negotiations.

He also highlighted the potential for cooperation between the two states in Cyprus on issues such as water, energy, environment, and natural resources.

He rejected the notion that Türkiye is an occupier in Cyprus, emphasizing that Türkiye has been the guarantor of peace and security for both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots for 50 years.

He also warned that South Cyprus could become a target due to events in the Middle East and Gaza.

President Tatar stressed the geopolitical and geostrategic importance of Cyprus for Türkiye in both the Blue Homeland and Sky Homeland.

The CHP Chairman Özgür Özel for his part emphasized that being together gives strength and that it is important to stand together and united.

Stating that the AKEL representative used a statement about the so-called invasion of Türkiye when the agenda was different at the Socialist International Meeting, where representatives from 77 countries of the world were present, Özel said “When no one reacted, we left the hall. When he finished speaking, we took the floor and voiced Türkiye’s strong and justified theses. We stated that we brought peace to Cyprus, that there was a force that could not resist us, and that if we had intended to occupy, we could have taken the entire island”.

“We said that Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have fulfilled what the multinational community expected since then, but that the reasons for the disagreements are others,” he added.

Özel also stated that there are deficiencies in announcing the Cyprus issue to the world, and said, “We are determined on this issue. There may be issues where we disagree with the Turkish President as we are the main opposition party in Türkiye. When it comes to Cyprus, we are the most assertive party in protecting rights. We have historical ties with Cyprus.”