Prime Minister Ersin Tatar told reporters on Tuesday that the announcement made by the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres that he plans to hold an informal meeting with the two Cypriot community leaders and representatives of the three guarantor countries after the presidential elections in the TRNC, was unnecessary.
“What is important is what the Turkish Cypriot people will say. The Turkish Cypriot people will exercise their political will on October 11. The Republic of Turkey has immediately responded to the Secretary-General’s announcement and no one can disregard Ankara because Turkey is a guarantor country, ” he said.
Tatar, speaking during a visit to the construction site of the new pandemic hospital in Nicosia on Tuesday, pointed out that the last round of talks in Crans-Montana (2017) had failed because of the Greek Cypriot side’s insistence on zero troops and zero guarantees, despite the good will demonstrated by the Turkish Cypriot side.
He added that the Cyprus Issue was no longer just an issue which concerned the island’s internal dynamics but included the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider region.
“We need to look at the bigger picture,” Tatar said.
Also mentioning the ongoing work to repair the water pipeline which supplies freshwater from Turkey to the TRNC, the Prime Minister said that the work was continuing at full speed.
He pointed out that teams had been working strenuously to complete repairs on the damaged pipeline and to enable the flow of water to the Geçitköy reservoir by September 25.
BRT
