President Tatar: "We Will Not Accept Any Exclusionary, One-Sided or Imposed Approach"

Tatar emphasized that the appointment, made solely based on the demands of the Greek Cypriot leadership and without consulting the Turkish Cypriot side, was "unilateral" and "disregards our will." He said, “Such a move, based on the demands of only one side, bears no legitimacy or consequence for us.”

He criticized Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides for presenting Hahn’s appointment as a personal triumph and for attempting to equate Hahn’s role with that of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy. “This is not only a distortion of reality but also shows disrespect to the ongoing efforts under the UN framework,” Tatar said.

He reiterated that the European Union, not being a neutral party in the Cyprus issue, cannot play a mediating role. “The EU’s internal arrangement, made to serve the political objectives of the Greek Cypriot side, has completely disregarded the sovereign will of the Turkish Cypriot people. As such, this appointment creates no obligation or outcome for us.”

Tatar underlined that the process agreed upon in Geneva concerning the six confidence-building initiatives continues under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, María Ángela Holguín. “Any initiative outside this mutually agreed process undermines cooperation efforts,” he said. “The EU is not a party to this process and cannot be part of any Cyprus-related equation without our approval.”

Declaring the EU’s appointment an “internal matter,” President Tatar stated clearly: “There will be no engagement or dialogue within the framework of this assignment.”

He called on the EU institutions to advise the Greek Cypriot leadership to refrain from what he described as an aggressive political agenda. “If the EU truly wants to repair the damaged relations between the two sides, it must counsel its ‘member’ accordingly.”

Tatar concluded with a strong reaffirmation of the Turkish Cypriot position: “The Turkish Cypriot people will steadfastly defend a vision for a solution based on sovereign equality and equal international status. We will not accept any exclusionary, one-sided, or imposed approach.”