President Tatar: “Preserving our goodwill, we continue our contribution to cooperation”

President Ersin Tatar returned to the island yesterday, following the completion of his engagements within the framework of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Addressing a press conference at Ercan Airport, President Tatar assessed his contacts in New York, describing the visit as brief yet highly significant. He noted that, in addition to his bilateral meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, he also attended a tripartite meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Christodoulides upon the invitation of the Secretary-General.

The President further stated that he held discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan, during which he underlined the importance of the joint policy pursued over the past five years. He expressed his appreciation to Minister Fidan and his team for their efforts in ensuring that this policy is effectively communicated to the international community.

President Tatar also conveyed his “sincere appreciation to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, who once again called upon the international community to formally recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and to end the inhumane isolation,” during his address to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

Tatar emphasized that, in line with the policy advanced by the Turkish Cypriot side, President Erdoğan made clear that a negotiation process could only commence on the basis of the reaffirmation of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people; that the Turkish Cypriots would never be reduced to a minority status; that the federation model has been exhausted; and that Türkiye’s support for the two-State vision remains firm and unequivocal.

President Tatar stressed that he, too, conveyed in all his meetings that these principles are indispensable for the Turkish Cypriot side. He added that despite the Greek Cypriot leader’s insistence on resuming from where matters were left at Crans-Montana, the federation model is no longer an option.

Referring to the statement made by the UN Secretary-General following the meetings, President Tatar indicated that Guterres had expressed his intention to appoint a Personal Envoy to the island after 19 October and to convene, before the end of the year, a meeting in an expanded 5+1 format.

President Tatar recalled the Secretary-General’s earlier report, which acknowledged the absence of common ground and the current impossibility of resuming negotiations. He underlined that such meetings are convened primarily to keep the agenda alive and to preserve channels of engagement for possible future encounters, and that the Turkish Cypriot side participates in this spirit.

“In our view, the significance of these meetings lies in reinforcing the prospect of cooperation between the two States in areas such as energy, environmental protection, cultural heritage, demining, and youth exchanges, thereby fostering initiatives for the benefit of both peoples,” President Tatar stated, while noting that efforts regarding the issue of crossing points have regrettably remained inconclusive.