Turkish Cypriots will not allow attempts to cut ties with Türkiye: President

The president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said any attempts to cut ties with Türkiye will not be allowed.

Ersin Tatar, during a meeting with Türkiye's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz in Turkish Cypriot capital of Lefkosa, said "the Greek Cypriots want to cut our ties with Türkiye [but] the Republic of Türkiye is our guarantor country, and its forces are the guarantee of peace, tranquility, and security here."

“Everyone knows this. The TRNC not only represents its own lands but the Motherland, the "sky homeland," and the "blue homeland" hold great potential in the Eastern Mediterranean as a whole,” he added.

Tatar said after the 1974 Peace Operation, a new era of peace and calm began on the island.

He said any future negotiations on Cyprus would take place between two sovereign, equal states with equal international status.

Tatar also drew parallels between the current situation in Gaza and struggles the Turkish Cypriots have faced since the 1960s, emphasizing they have the right to determine their future in accordance with their language and traditions.

He said this right must be respected by everyone, including the UN.

Mentioning the failure to reach a solution in Cyprus despite efforts such as the Annan Plan referendum and the 2017 Crans-Montana talks, Tatar said: “The Greek Cypriot side has never had the desire to share equality, dignity, and wealth with us."

Vice President Yilmaz, for his part, said the Turkish side will not discuss federal proposals in the upcoming meeting on the Cyprus issue.

"In the upcoming process, it has been agreed to reconvene in an expanded format with the participation of both sides, the motherlands, the UN, and the UK at a lower level, informally. Naturally, the Turkish side will not discuss federal solution proposals at this meeting," he said.

Reiterating Türkiye's stance on the island, Yilmaz said the Turkish Cypriots, "despite the pressure, terrorism, and intimidation efforts by the Greek side aimed at cleansing the island of Turks over the decades," have managed to maintain their existence.

On TRNC President Tatar's meeting with leader of the Greek Cypriot administration, Nikos Christodoulides, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Oct. 15, Yilmaz said: "Following the informal dinner, the statement issued by the UN Secretary-General's spokesperson, which officially recorded for the first time that no common ground was found between the leaders, is an important achievement. As Türkiye, we strongly support this vision. We believe that the chapter of a federation has been closed."

*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul