ISTANBUL: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar on Sunday dismissed the Greek Cypriot leader’s assertion of a planned trilateral meeting with the UN chief.
Tatar’s reaction came after Nikos Christodoulides on Saturday announced a trilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Aug. 13 to “discuss and pave the way for the resumption of talks” on the island’s future.
Tatar clarified there was no such invitation from the UN and reiterated that the TRNC would not take part in a meeting under the current conditions, citing a lack of proper groundwork.
Tatar underlined that the Turkish side’s stance remains firm, with no return to negotiations over a federal solution. “No one should expect negotiations to start from where they left off in Crans-Montana. The search for a federal solution ended there,” he said in a statement on the presidential website, referring to failed 2017 talks in a Swiss municipality.
Tatar stressed that any future negotiations over Cyprus must recognize the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot side.
He accused Greek Cypriot administration leader Nikos Christodoulides of attempting to create a fait accompli and pressure the Turkish side. “The Greeks are again pursuing a game. The Greeks’ intentions are to shape perceptions and try to put the Turkish side under pressure. We will not fall for these games,” Tatar said.
The TRNC president urged the Greek Cypriot leader to abandon unrealistic expectations and consider the island’s realities, saying: “Christodoulides should stop chasing pipe dreams and take into account the realities on the island.”
