President Ersin Tatar said on Tuesday that he refused to sit at a table where Greek Cypriots would be classed as the Republic and the Turkish Cypriots would be a community.

He added that he could consider launching a new round of negotiations had an initiative been undertaken by the UN to open the way for direct flights, direct trade and direct contact.

“Let me make something clear. The Cyprus Problem which has been going on for 60 years is not something Holguin can solve with a “magic wand,” President Ersin Tatar told BRT on today (Wednesday).

Speaking on BRT on Wednesday, President Ersin Tatar expressed his displeasure over the UN personal envoy Angela Maria Holguin’s meetings, saying “she cannot gauge public opinion going from door to door. She has no right. It’s not nice of her to go to the most extreme opponents and provoke, challenging the established order or my legitimacy.”

“Frankly, I was annoyed by that… It’s Holguin’s duty to investigate if there is common ground. It is already clear that there is not. I find it very wrong that Holguin exceeded her mandate, meeting with minority and opposition groups calling my legitimacy as the elected President of the Turkish Cypriots,” he said.

Tatar said that he would refuse to sit at a table where Greek Cypriots would be classed as the Republic and the Turkish Cypriots would be a community.

The president said that the Greek Cypriots were exploiting their EU membership and international recognition, pursuing a policy of wearing down Turkish Cypriots through isolation and embargoes.

He added that he could consider launching a new round of negotiations had an initiative been undertaken by the UN to open the way for direct flights, direct trade and direct contact.

“If these three conditions were met, we would see a positive move in the direction of the recognition of our sovereign equality and thus a process could be launched,” Tatar said.

Referring to the UN personal envoy’s earlier remarks in an interview that she had been surprised by Ersin Tatar’s refusal to agree to a trilateral meeting, he said that without common ground, there is no point in holding meetings, and that Holguin does not understand the reality of Cyprus.

Also drawing attention to earlier remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriacos Mitsotakis that it was important to reach a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus based on the facts, Tatar pointed out that there were two separate democracies, two separate states and two separate peoples in Cyprus.

Tatar also reiterated that he was in full harmony with Türkiye and that all steps were being taken in consolation with Ankara.

“The Turkish Cypriots have as much a right of self-governance as Greek Cypriots do. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) may not be recognised internationally but Turkish Cypriots have their own state with their own institutions. Turkish Cypriots as founding partners of the 1960 Cyprus Republic have inherent rights and so our sovereign equality and equal international status must be recognized. Talks can only begin with two states sitting at the table,” he said, reiterating his position that the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot people must be recognized before any talks can begin.

Tatar also ruled out the chance of abandoning the current two-state policy.

He also said that the aim of the embargoes was to pressure the Turkish Cypriot people and to impose upon them a settlement that will see them transformed into a minority.

“Let it not be forgotten. Turkish Cypriots have an 85 million strong Türkiye by their side. Türkiye is the strongest country in the region, a regional superpower.  They are not alone.”

Calling out to circles who still advocate a federal settlement in Cyprus, Tatar said that “it is true we must sit at the table but before we do so we need to secure our equality. That is extremely important.”

Asked whether there was indeed a proposal for a tripartite meeting, Tatar said that an official proposal was not made but that the UN envoy had implied that such a meeting could be taken.

Asked about his views on the possibility of an extension of Holguin’s mission, Tatar said that it was clear after 6 months that the UN personal envoy had been unsuccessful.

“I do not see it in our interest under the current circumstances for such a development,” he stressed, adding that such a request would need to be discussed in detail.

Responding to a question regarding the recent improvement of relations between Ankara and Athens, Tatar said that the re-approachment between the two countries was economic and as he had discussed the matter earlier with the Turkish President, Cyprus was a separate issue which could not be linked.

He pointed out that Cyprus served an important purpose in preserving the Turco-Greek balance in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“It would be disastrous for Turkish Cypriots to accept a solution that would see the removal of Türkiye from Cyprus, whereby they would be left to the mercy of Greek Cypriot hegemony, economic disparity,” he said.

Tatar concluded by stating that the time had come for the recognition of the TRNC and that it was out of the question to resume talks without the recognition of the sovereign equality of Turkish Cypriots.