It was noted that in the Concluding Declaration announced by the European Union Council yesterday, statements that also concern the TRNC, deemed to be unacceptable, were included. President Tatar’s statement also called on the EU to review its policy on Cyprus based on the political and legal realities on the island. His statement is as follows:
“The Turkish Cypriot side states that with the election of the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ersin Tatar, the negotiations aiming at the federation solution model are now exhausted and a new realistic ground is needed. President Tatar argues that the establishment of a new ground by respecting the sovereign equality of our State and accepting its equal international status is inevitable for the success of the negotiations. It is obvious that a realistic and sustainable reconciliation in Cyprus will not be possible without equalizing the status and legitimacy of the parties.
“The aim of the Turkish Cypriot side is to develop an institutional cooperation between the two parties on the above ground. The statements of the EU side show that the Turkish Cypriot side has misunderstood this position at best. For this reason, the insistence of the EU to take the outdated UN Security Council resolutions as a reference basically means nothing more than supporting the inconclusive negotiation processes within the framework of the old ground and parameters whose incompatibility and failure with the Cyprus conditions have been revealed. We expect the EU to review its policy regarding Cyprus on the basis of political and legal realities on the Island.
“While it is clear that confidence building measures, including Closed Varosha, were rejected by the Greek Cypriot side in the past, we expect the Turkish Cypriot side’s opening towards Closed Varosha to be considered as a step in the right direction. The closed Maraş expansion is being promoted by taking into account property rights claims and international law.
“Suffice it to say that the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean has decreased, the EU supports the Greek Cypriot side, which continues to usurp the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people, by ignoring its unilateral and illegal actions. On this occasion, we would like to remind you that the proposal made by the Turkish Cypriot side on 13 July 2019 to establish cooperation on hydrocarbons and bring stability to the region is still on the table.
“We invite the EU to respect the legitimate rights and interests of the two sides in Cyprus and to implement the will declared in 2004 to lift the isolation on Turkish Cypriots”.
