TRNC President Ersin Tatar, reacted to the statements of the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration Nikos Anastasiades who said “We will veto EU summit where EU- Turkey relations will be discussed if our conditions are not accepted”. Tatar stated “We will not bow to the threats and blackmail of Anastasiades.

Tatar also emphasised that they will not abandon their solution proposals based on two sovereign equal states and the work for the opening of Maraş, and natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean will also continue.

Furthermore, President Tatar added “During the meeting with High Representative of EU Foreign Relations and Security Policy Josep Borrell in Brussels, Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades explained that if his conditions are not accepted he will veto the EU summit meeting. These conditions are unacceptable for us because they contain threats and blackmails against the EU, Turkey and TRNC, we are not going to bow to the hegemonic attitude of the Greek Cypriot side. We will not give up our solution proposal based on two sovereign equal states, which we put on the table in Geneva and was supported by Turkey, the largest and most powerful country in the region. The work for the opening of Maraş and natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean will also continue. One of the main reasons why the Greek Cypriot side is so impudent and threatening is that the EU unjustly and unilaterally accepted South Cyprus as an EU member for political reasons and follows a pro-Greek Cypriot attitude concerning the Cyprus issue. This attitude of the EU also serves to continue a deadlock. While South Cyprus and Greece, which are EU members, imposes the TRNC and Turkey on the Cyprus issue with threats and blackmail by using the EU which lost its impartiality on the Cyprus issue, we will follow up how the EU will take a stand against the conditions put forward by the Greek Cypriot Leader Anastasiades. Our wish is that the EU will react to the conditions of the Greek Cypriot side, will give up its pro-Greek Cypriot attitude and be just.”