Tatar: Two-State Solution Is Our Goal and the Right Path

According to Anadolu Agency, Tatar made the remarks at the launch event of the updated second edition of a book published by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), titled “The Love of Cyprus: A Lifetime in Pursuit of an Unquenchable Ideal: Ersin Tatar.” Speaking to journalists after the event, Tatar highlighted the progress made in strengthening the diplomatic status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on international platforms, thanks to policies pursued with Turkey’s support over the past five years.

“The two-state solution is our common objective, our yearning, and it is the right thing to do,” he reiterated.

Tatar cited the TRNC’s increasing representation in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as key indicators of recent foreign policy successes.

He warned that the federal solution model poses serious risks for the Turkish Cypriot community: “Under a federation, Turkish Cypriots would be relegated to a minority, the Republic of Turkey would withdraw from Cyprus, its guarantor status would be abolished, and Turkish influence in the Eastern Mediterranean would be lost.”

Emphasizing the geopolitical significance of the Eastern Mediterranean, Tatar said the TRNC should not be viewed merely as a landmass but as a whole—comprising territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zones, and airspace.

TRNC-Turkey Trade Approaches $3 Billion

Discussing economic ties between the TRNC and Turkey, Tatar noted:

“Fifteen years ago, when I served as finance minister in Cyprus, our annual trade volume was around $600 million. Now, it is approaching $3 billion. With flights arriving at Ercan State Airport from every region of Turkey, annual passenger numbers have reached five million. Twenty years ago, that figure was less than one million. Following the pandemic, there has been rapid growth.”

“We Trade with Over 100 Countries”

Tatar also stated that the TRNC trades with more than 100 countries and highlighted tourism gains following the partial reopening of the fenced-off town of Varosha (Maraş).

Quoting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Tatar concluded, “As President Erdoğan has said, the TRNC will continue to shine as a Turkish state in the Eastern Mediterranean.”