President Ersin Tatar on Wednesday received a delegation of British parliamentarians who are holding a series of contacts in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, British MP Stephan James Metcalfe said that they were pleased of being in the TRNC and had learned many things during their visit.

Pointing out that the TRNC existed as a state, Metcalfe said that they had visited the parliament as well as the new Ercan terminal.

He added that it was time the TRNC opened to the world and the Turkish Cypriot people were freed from international isolation.

For his part, President Ersin Tatar said that the existence of two states in Cyprus was a reality and that Turkish Cypriots had sovereign rights.

He pointed out that Turkish Cypriots were exercising self-governance since 1963 when they were expelled from the 1960 Cyprus Republic by force of arms.

Tatar said that the Turkish Cypriot peoples’ vested rights as sovereign people could be seen in the archives of the British parliament.

“Turkish Cypriots have a right to self-determination,” he said, pointing out that an overwhelming majority of Turkish Cypriots had voted in favour of the UN-sponsored Annan Plan as opposed to Greek Cypriots who had overwhelmingly rejected the solution plan.

“The former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw admitted that he had been tricked by the Greek Cypriots and that a federal settlement in Cyprus is no longer possible. He today openly supports a two-state solution in Cyprus,” Tatar said.

The president also explained that the Greek Cypriots continue to see Cyprus as a Greek state, have no desire to share political power with Turkish Cypriots and perceived them as a minority.

“It is high time the international community acknowledges the reality that there are two separate states in Cyprus and that the best option is for a two-state solution whereby the two states can cooperate and co-exist. The Greek Cypriots have yet to give us a positive reply to our 6-point set of proposals,” he added.

Such a solution in Cyprus would not only bring stability to the region but would also have great economic benefits for both sides, Tatar told the visiting delegation.