Tatar Agrees to Informal Dinner With Christodoulides

President Tatar returned to the TRNC from New York, where he attended the 79th UN General Assembly. He was welcomed at Ercan Airport by Assembly President Zorlu Töre, Public Works and Transportation Minister Erhan Arıklı, and other officials, Kibris Postasi reports.

Tatar explained that he had accepted an invitation to an informal dinner with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, unrelated to the formal Cyprus talks. He noted that the “absence of common ground” could create space for discussions on Cyprus’ future at the 4+1 informal consultation meeting, including representatives from Turkey and Greece at the UN.

Tatar highlighted increased pressure from the Greek Cypriot side, including embargoes and restrictions on Turkish Cypriots. He raised these issues with the UN Secretary-General, who proposed an informal dinner to bring the two sides together. Tatar reaffirmed that no formal negotiations would occur without recognition of the Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality and international status, emphasising that the idea of a federation is a thing of the past.

In New York, Tatar and his delegation met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, various organisations, and members of the press. Special Representative Güneş Onar also had discussions with high-level Security Council officials. Tatar’s key meetings took place at the Turkish House with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and others.

Tatar mentioned that during his meetings, he explained how Turkish Cypriot rights were violated when they were excluded from the Republic of Cyprus in 1963. He underlined that for 60 years, despite various resolutions, no lasting agreement had been reached.

He reiterated that since the 1974 Peace Operation, Turkish and Greek Cypriots live in two separate states. Tatar told Guterres that formal negotiations could resume if Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality and international status are acknowledged.

Tatar stressed that the proposals made in 2021 remain valid and that Turkish President Erdoğan continues to support the TRNC. He concluded by expressing a desire to maintain dialogue and cooperation on issues like water, electricity, and migration.

Kibris Postasi