Tatar says TRNC is a true success story

President Ersin Tatar on Wednesday said that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was a true success story.

Speaking on a live radio programme carried out jointly by Turkish state radio TRT Radyo and Radio Vatan here in the TRNC; Tatar reminded that the Turkish Cypriot side had tabled its two-state policy which included sovereign equality and international equal status at the five-plus-one informal meeting in Geneva.

“We no longer foresee a federal agreement in Cyprus,” he said, pointing out that the two sides on the island had a very difficult understanding of what a federal settlement entailed.

“Their (the Greek Cypriots’) idea of a federal settlement is in time to reduce Turkish Cypriots into a minority under the roof of single sovereignty and to ensure the withdrawal of Turkish troops on the island as Turkiye is not an EU member. Peace on this island could be in danger if Turkish troops leave. We will never accept such a solution. This is the very essence of the Cyprus Issue. It is an issue of sovereignty,” Tatar said.

The president, responding to a question regarding Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who claimed during a speech that Cyprus was under occupation for the past 48 years, said that it was Greece which had occupied Cyprus.

He said that the 1960 Cyprus Republic set up as a partnership had been transformed into a Greek state.

“Never in the history of Cyprus has the island fallen under Greek Cypriot sovereignty. People around the world do not know the essence of the Cyprus Problem. We are talking about two states in Cyprus. There might be those who reject this, but there are two states, two separate entities on the island since 1964,” the president said.

Tatar added that any settlement to be reached must be a two-state solution.

He said that Turkiye fully supports the Turkish Cypriot side’s new policy and that there was no backing out of the current position.

Tatar concluded by stating that the bond between Turkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus can never be broken.