“There will be no return from the policy implemented over the past 3 years with ‘motherland Turkey’ in Cyprus,” stated the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, departing from the illegal airport in Tympou for the USA, where he will meet with the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in New York the day after tomorrow, Friday.
As reported in the occupied territories, Tatar reiterated that without the acceptance of sovereign equality and an equal international status, official negotiations will not begin, emphasising that he has been saying this for the past 3 years and noting that there is no common ground.
He said that there might have been pressure on the Secretary-General to appoint an envoy, but “even then we told him that negotiations will not start from where they left off in Crans Montana.”
He also reiterated that the duties of Maria Angela HolguÃn Cuéllar are for 6 months, “and on April 5, she will complete 3 months.”
HolguÃn, he added, has already met twice with the leaders and will meet with them for the third time, while she is currently in Washington for contacts.
He wanted to clarify, he said, that reports in the Turkish Cypriot press that the Secretary-General made some proposals to the Turkish Cypriot leader and he accepted them, and if he accepts them, negotiations will start, “do not correspond to reality.”
He reiterated that the meeting with the UN Secretary-General will take place because he requested it himself, “within the framework of equality.”
HolguÃn, he stated, will ascertain whether there is common ground or not. “So far, there isn’t any, that’s clear. Because the other side is pressuring some EU countries to restart negotiations from where they left off in Crans Montana for a bi-communal bi-zonal federation.”
Ersin Tatar spoke about consultations with the ‘motherland Turkey’, saying that yesterday a delegation from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs was in the occupied territories.
“Turkey fully supports our policy. The UN and the Secretary-General must now lift the isolation and unacceptable embargoes,” he said.
He also reiterated that promises were made to the Turkish Cypriots in this direction after the 2004 referendum and expressed his opposition once again to resolution 186 of 1964 that recognises the legal Government of the Republic of Cyprus, the “Greek Cypriot administration”, as he said.
“For 60 years, the Cyprus problem has not been solved. For 60 years, many negotiations have taken place. Many negotiations have taken place for a federal solution,” he added.
Turkish Cypriots, he mentioned, are under pressure for a solution and are already under pressure, and this will not happen, “we will now say this to the whole world. Because next to the Turkish Cypriot people, there is the motherland Turkey.”
These, Tatar said, will be conveyed at the meeting on Friday with the UN Secretary-General.
In statements yesterday after the meeting with the “parliamentary” parties, the Turkish Cypriot leader had said he would first go to Washington and then to New York.
Today, Tatar gave an exclusive interview to the newspaper Kıbrıs, where he reiterated his positions.
