President Ersin Tatar emphasized the growing acceptance of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as a reality in the world.

President Ersin Tatar met with the members of the Board of Directors of the TMT Freedom Fighters Association, headed by Celal Bayar.

During the meeting, President Tatar stated that the reality of the existence of the TRNC has now started to receive acceptance by the international community.

He said that both the TRNC and Türkiye have been calling on the international community to accept the realities on the island for the past three year at the UN, EU, and globally.

Referring to the London and Zurich agreements, Tatar said, “The Turkish Cypriot people were the equal founding partners of the 1960 Republic of Cyprus. This is the fundamental basis of the policy we are currently pursuing. The parameters of our policy derive from an international agreement. The Turkish Cypriot people are a founding partner, just as legitimate and sovereign as the Greek Cypriots. When the Turkish Cypriots were forcibly expelled from the state, it was quite natural for us to start the efforts to establish our own state,” he said.

Tatar explained that political equality under a federal umbrella would not be possible because the ultimate goal is for the Republic of Türkiye not to become an EU member, leading to the end of Türkiye’s guarantee and the presence of Turkish troops.

He pointed out that under the EU umbrella, the Greek Cypriots would do everything to take control of the north in such a scenario.

President Tatar emphasized the continuation of Türkiye’s guarantee and the presence of Turkish troops, stating that there is a significant difference between political equality on a federal basis and the sovereign equality put forward by the Turkish Cypriot side.

He expressed the view that the Turkish Cypriot people, who gained their freedom in 1974, never wanted to return to pre-1974 conditions.

The head of the TMT Freedom Fighters Association Celal Bayar for his part expressed their support for a two-state solution and stressed that preserving the state was a debt they owed to the martyrs.