President Ersin Tatar made evaluations regarding the Cyprus issue on the 61^st anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 186, dated March 4, 1964.

Stressing once again that the resolution was unfair and political, the President stated that it was the biggest obstacle to a solution.

Tatar emphasized that in order to achieve a just, permanent, and sustainable solution, a new and official negotiation process must be initiated on the basis of confirming the inherent rights, sovereign equality, and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people.

President Ersin Tatar issued a written statement on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 186, dated March 4, 1964.

The President noted that while it was claimed that the UN Security Council adopted the resolution to stop attacks carried out by the Greek Cypriot terrorist organization against Turkish Cypriot civilians, including women and children, within a systematic plan, the decision had severe consequences for the political rights and status of the Turkish Cypriot people, creating the status quo that continues to this day.

“On December 21, 1963, the Greek terrorist organization EOKA, which aimed to unite Cyprus with Greece, launched large-scale attacks against Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish Cypriot people were systematically expelled from state institutions and forced into ghettos. As a result of these terrorist acts, the constitutional order of the 1960 Republic of Cyprus was disrupted, and the structure of the partnership state, which was based on power-sharing between the two founding communities, was effectively abolished” Tatar said.

He stressed that despite this reality, Resolution 186 ignored this blatant violation, rewarded the Greek Cypriot leadership that dismantled the partnership republic, and established the current status quo.

Explaining that the resolution unjustly and unlawfully led to the Greek Cypriot administration being recognized as the sole legitimate authority of the partnership republic, the President stressed that by defining the Turkish Cypriot people, who were an equal founding partner, merely as a “community,” their constitutional rights were disregarded.

“Although the deployment of the UN Peacekeeping Force was intended to prevent violence on the island, this mechanism has been highly inadequate in ensuring the security and protecting the fundamental rights of the Turkish Cypriot people” Tatar said and stressed that the resolution ignored the acquired rights of the Turkish Cypriot people under the 1960 Agreements.

Highlighting that the resolution undermined the principle of political equality on the island, Tatar pointed out that it also failed to adequately consider Türkiye’s guarantor role under the Guarantee Agreement.

He stated that the resolution overlooked the rights derived from international law to prevent attacks against the Turkish Cypriot people.

Stating that, in this context, Resolution 186 constituted a structural obstacle to achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue, Tatar stressed that changing the current status quo—which all relevant parties deem unsustainable—would only be possible by reflecting the realities on the ground at the negotiation table.

“In an agreement that lacks sovereign equality, just as 61 years ago, the political rights of the Turkish Cypriot people will remain merely on paper, will be trampled by the majority, and worse still, while the side committing unlawful acts is rewarded, our people will continue to be condemned to isolation” the President said.                            

For these reasons, Tatar reiterated that in order to achieve a just, lasting, and sustainable solution, a new and official negotiation process must be initiated on the basis of confirming the Turkish Cypriot people’s inherent rights, sovereign equality, and equal international status.

He stated that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), based on its new vision fully supported by Türkiye, had consistently stressed that a just solution to the Cyprus issue—one that reflects the realities on the ground and protects the legitimate rights and interests of both sides—could only be achieved through the cooperation of two states on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status.

In this context, President Tatar stressed that the recognition of the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and the establishment of their fundamental human rights were essential for regional stability and a sustainable settlement on the island.

He added that the international community must adopt a new reconciliation approach that considers the rightful expectations of the Turkish Cypriot people, ensures a genuine balance between the two sides on the island, and respects the will of both communities.

“The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, with the full and unwavering support of Türkiye, will continue—just as on the first day I presented our new vision—with unwavering determination to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and to ensure that they attain the international status they rightfully deserve” Tatar said.