Statement by TRNC Foreign Minister, H.E. Mr. Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu regarding Kathimerini newspaper’s interview with Stephen Lillie, British High Commissioner accredited to the Greek Cypriot Administration

In a statement to Kathimerini newspaper, Stephen Lillie, British High Commissioner accredited to South Cyprus, has pointed out that federation is the only way out for an agreement that will be reached on the Cyprus issue. The remarks of the British High Commissioner mean nothing but the repetition of the negotiation process that has trapped the Cyprus issue in a deadlock. The language adopted by the High Commissioner portrays that the typical colonial mindset is still ongoing.

Lillie’s statement that United Kingdom’s initiatives are compatible with Anastasiades’s idea of decentralized federation, demonstrates, once again, its well-known pro-Greek Cypriot policy on the Cyprus issue.  The stance of the UK on Cyprus, as one of the guarantor countries, is unacceptable. As a matter of fact, among the guarantor countries, only Turkey fulfills the duties and obligations of being a guarantor, while the others are engaged with supporting and promoting the racist and bigoted Greek Cypriot policies.

The negotiation processess carried out on this ground for years failed due to the Greek Cypriot side’s refusal to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriot people. The repeated failures prompted the Turkish Cypriot side to put its new vision forward in order to reach an acceptable and sustainable agreement.

The new vision of the Turkish Cypriot side was registered during the 5+UN informal meeting held in Geneva. Our proposal is based on the principle necessitating the confirmation of our inherent rights, namely sovereign equality and equal international status.

It is futile to insist on a so-called solution model that does not foresee the said principle and that can serve only to the continuation of unjust and inhumane isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people. We demand that the UK, which is one of the countries that knows the Cyprus issue very well, should embrace this reality as soon as possible and put an end to its pro-Greek Cypriot policy at the expense of the Turkish Cypriot people for the sake of guaranteeing the future of the two sovereign base areas.