Tatar: "I Went to Geneva to Protect and Defend the Rights and Interests of My People"

Tatar stated that his primary objective in Geneva was to protect and defend the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people, expressing confidence that this goal was successfully upheld. He highlighted significant achievements over the past four years, emphasizing that a new path has been embarked upon.

The Turkish Cypriot delegation, Tatar noted, attended the Geneva meeting with the firm stance that negotiations could only begin once sovereign equality and equal international status were affirmed. He described this as a national policy pursued with Turkey’s full support.

Tatar pointed out that considerable progress had been made over the past four years and that the delegation went to Geneva with this new national policy framework. Referring to the efforts of UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín, he noted that her work on the island concluded that no common ground existed, but cooperation between the two states could foster rapprochement.

According to Tatar, the Geneva meeting was not focused on resolving the Cyprus issue but rather on cooperation. He cited UN Secretary-General António Guterres' statement following the meeting, which described it as the first positive step since the 2017 Crans-Montana talks.

The discussions resulted in an agreement on cooperation in eight areas, including border crossings and a youth committee. Tatar also mentioned his proposal for an interconnected electricity system through Turkey to Europe, which was met with objections from the Greek Cypriot side, arguing that the issue falls under the jurisdiction of the European Union and Turkey.

Tatar underscored the potential for further cooperation in areas such as natural gas, trade, water supply, and tourism in the coming period. He also confirmed that Holguín would be reappointed as a personal envoy to facilitate cooperation and organize a meeting in July.

Expressing his perspective on the meeting, Tatar remarked, "I would like to believe that it was beneficial," reaffirming that there would be no retreat from the principles of sovereign equality and equal status. He firmly stated that the federal solution model was no longer on the table.

Tatar also referenced the UN Secretary-General’s remarks that a "new atmosphere has emerged," signaling the beginning of a fresh approach in which cooperative efforts between both sides could benefit Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots alike.

Answering questions from the press, Tatar acknowledged that the Metehan crossing was the busiest border checkpoint and reiterated the proposal to open a new crossing in Haspolat to ease congestion. He also noted a separate proposal for a crossing in Akıncılar.

Regarding the Greek Cypriot leader's suggestion for transit passage, Tatar clarified that this did not equate to opening a new border crossing. He stated that details of the Greek Cypriot side's border proposal would be clarified in the discussions scheduled for next week.