President of the TRNC Tatars: "The Turkish state in the Eastern Mediterranean has made huge steps towards becoming a center of gravity "
President of the TRNC Tatars: "The Turkish state in the Eastern Mediterranean has made huge steps towards becoming a center of gravity "
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ersin Tatar stated: "Looking at the political situation and events in the region, we can say that the Turkish state in the Eastern Mediterranean has really made huge steps towards becoming a center of gravity, in terms of geostrategy and geopolitics, in all aspects."
Vice President of the Republic of Turkey Cevdet Yilmaz received TRNC President Ersin Tatar at his residence in the capital Ankara. During his speech, Tatar noted that the 41st anniversary of the founding of the TRNC will be celebrated in the near future.
He also said that the expression of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that "the TRNC is the pearl of Turkey" made him very happy, and stressed that the messages that Erdogan conveyed at the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of Turkic States (OTG) in Bishkek are also important.
Tatar noted: "The TRNC is one of two states in Cyprus, there are two states in Cyprus. There are two peoples. If you look at the facts, the TRNC is an expression of the independence and freedom of the Cypriot Turks. Therefore, the world is gradually beginning to realize that there is no turning back."
He expressed his main hope that the TRNC will be able to compete in the future and achieve long-term development in important sectors. "Looking at the political situation and events in the region, we can say that the Turkish state in the Eastern Mediterranean has really taken huge steps towards becoming a center of gravity, from the point of view of geostrategy and geopolitics, in all aspects. Creating all these sectors, consolidating this perception was not such an easy thing," he said.
Tatar noted that many successes have been achieved in 41 years, and Turkey's decisions aimed at supporting the TRNC have become an important source of motivation for them.
"There is currently no common ground for starting negotiations in Cyprus"
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ersin Tatar also touched upon the issue of energy in Cyprus, noting that he raised this issue in a conversation with the European Union (EU) and South Cyprus.
Tatar stated that the electric grid project, which will allow for two-way energy transfer between Turkey and the TRNC, will ensure that both Southern Cyprus and the TRNC can be connected to this system quickly and without problems. "Unfortunately, the position of the other side and the inability to see the reality of the TRNC, in light of this approach, may lead to a delay," he said.
He expressed the hope that this issue will be resolved through dialogue, which will open up opportunities for joint actions between the TRNC and South Cyprus in various projects.
Tatar stressed that the TRNC's policy aimed at "sovereign equality, equal nations", which it shares with the world community, is correct. "In order to start a constructive negotiation process, we can achieve this through solutions that we call 3D: direct trade, direct flights and direct contacts. We shared this with the Personal Representative of the UN Secretary General (Antonio Guterres) Maria Angela Holguin-Cuellar," he added.
Recalling the informal talks on October 15, Tatar noted the importance of the UN statement that at the moment there is no common basis for starting negotiations in Cyprus.
Tatar noted that while negotiations with the UN are ongoing, the TRNC needs to strengthen its economic and social structure, and also noted the importance of the work carried out with Turkey, summing up: "President of our Republic Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who once again strongly supported the just cause of the Cypriot Turks at the Bishkek summit, expressed his joy that We were there, and I said that all the heads of Turkish states want to see us as full members in the near future. This has become an important source of strength for us."