Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar stated that great efforts were made to explain the ‘new policy’ at an international level. “We have noticed that our new policy has gained roots in 2022,” he said.
Tatar evaluated the developments experienced in 2022 to the Turkish News Agency (TAK). Noting that 2022 was a difficult and troublesome year in the TRNC as in the rest of the world, Tatar explained that the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war affected this. The war caused extraordinary increases and expensiveness in fuel and oil prices, he said.
“A great effort was made to explain the new policy at an international level” Speaking on the developments regarding the Cyprus problem, TC leader Tatar stated that 2022 was a very busy year for the Cyprus problem. Tatar emphasized that the “new policy” took root in 2022.
Tatar explained that in 2022, great efforts were made to explain the new policy based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two peoples in Cyprus, at an international level.
‘There is a vast difference between a federation understanding of the Greek Cypriots and ours’
Pointing out that the Eastern Mediterranean had gained additional importance due to its wealth, Tatar emphasized that Turkish Cypriots also have a say in the wealth such as oil and natural gas in the region. “We are the common and equal founder of the Republic of Cyprus. The fundamental basis of our policy is that there are two separate sovereign peoples in Cyprus within the framework of the Republic of Cyprus Agreement. We developed this policy because it was clearly stated in the agreement. We will not be trapped in the past. Efforts have been made in the past for an agreement on a federal basis. However, there is no common point between the federation understanding of the Greek Cypriots and our understanding. Their understanding is the continuation of the Republic of Cyprus and the integration of Turkish Cypriots as citizens. They say, ‘The Republic of Cyprus is a recognized state, a member of the European Union. Therefore, there can be no question of the disappearance of the Republic of Cyprus.’ But the TRNC will disappear, that is, the state of the Turkish Cypriots will disappear. When this state disappears, we will face real danger. In order not to face such a situation, we need to protect our state until the end,” he said.
“There is no going back from our policy”
Stressing that there have been two separate states in Cyprus for the past 60 years, Tatar said that the state in the South is the Greek Cypriot state and the one in the North is the Turkish Cypriot state. “There is no going back. This is settled, rooted and behind us is the Republic of Türkiye. This guarantor country is the largest in the region. There are very important developments in this region and Türkiye fully supports the Turkish Cypriots. When we look at the scale, on the one side there is the Greek and Greek Cypriot duo and on the other, there are the Turkish Cypriots and the Republic of Türkiye. For the continuation of stability and the continuation of peace, an agreement can be reached with the cooperation of the two states”, he said.
The fact that the TRNC is an observer member of the Organization of Turkic States (TDT) is an important step towards recognition. Evaluating the fact that the TRNC is an observer member of the Organization of Turkic States, Tatar noted that this is an important step towards the recognition of the TRNC.
Elections…
Referring to the February election in South Cyprus, Tatar pointed out that all three candidates supported Anastasiades’ policy and worked with him.
