“We are ready to talk, but there is no common ground for negotiations because the other side does not accept our sovereignty,” TRNC President Ersin Tatar said Monday. “There is no point in negotiating with a party that does not accept our sovereignty,” Tatar told reporters after a closed session of the TRNC Assembly regarding the Cyprus issue.
Tatar emphasised the existence of two separate peoples, states, and democracies on the island and praised Turkey for highlighting the realities of the Cyprus situation.
Statements by Tatar regarding the Cyprus problem were reported in the southern press. Greek Cypriot daily Haravgi, under the headline “Tatar Says Negotiations for Cooperation of Two States,” stated that Tatar “does not avoid negotiations, but to sit at the negotiating table, he demands recognition of sovereign equality and equal international status for the ‘TRNC’ alongside the Republic of Cyprus.” Other newspapers reflected Tatar’s statements with headlines such as:
Alithia: “Tatar Continues His Provocations – Does Not Avoid Negotiations, But Insists on Two States – Greek Cypriot Side Didn’t Even Offer a Proposal.”
Fileleftheros: “Tatar Does Not Avoid Negotiations.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey intervened militarily following a coup aimed at annexing the island to Greece, leading to the establishment of the TRNC on November 15, 1983. Despite the cessation of violence, tensions persist, including disputes over the island’s exclusive offshore economic zone. Turkey, which does not recognise the Greek Cypriot administration, maintains about 35,000 troops in the TRNC. Peace efforts, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland, have been sporadic.
The Greek Cypriot administration joined the EU in 2004, the same year it rejected a UN peace plan. Only the Greek Cypriot south enjoys full EU benefits.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed a special representative, Maria Holguin Cuellar, to explore common ground for renewed negotiations. Despite her efforts, Turkish and Greek Cypriots remain divided. Holguin’s term ends on July 5. Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots advocate for a two-state solution, while Greek Cypriots reject partition and demand a veto-free federal government, the removal of Turkish troops, and no Turkish military intervention rights.
Many see this latest UN initiative as a last chance for peace in Cyprus. Guterres has warned that the prospects for a mutually acceptable solution are fading. A peace deal would reduce a potential conflict source near the unstable Middle East and facilitate the exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean.
