President Ersin Tatar has said that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is ready to share the water from Türkiye with South Cyprus.

“We are ready to share with South Cyprus the water and natural resources surrounding the island on the basis of two sovereign and equal states,” Tatar told a workshop on alternative energy hosted by the Istanbul Technical University’s (İTÜ) North Cyprus Campus and organised by the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA).

He said that there was no abandoning the current policy in favour of a two-state solution in Cyprus.

Addressing the workshop hosted by the Istanbul Technical University’s North Cyprus Campus titled “Efficiency in Natural Resources and Alternative Energy Solutions,” President Ersin Tatar said that the TRNC was clear that it would not return to the negotiating table before its sovereign equality was recognised.

He reminded that Ankara fully supported this new vision.

Explaining that the TRNC was open to the idea of sharing its water supplied by Türkiye with South Cyprus, Tatar said that the Turkish Cypriot side was more than ready to cooperate and share natural resources with the Greek Cypriot side, on the condition it was based between two sovereign states.

“We are open to working on joint projects but the Greek Cypriot side’s fears that cooperation will upgrade the status of the TRNC is causing them to reject all our proposals and offers,” he said.

Also speaking, the Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Metin Feyzioğlu highlighted the potential the TRNC had in terms of academic studies.