The existence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is essential for the sovereignty of Turkey, TRNC President Ersin Tatar said on Thursday, once again underlining the need for a two-state solution.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), Tatar said a two-state solution is a must to enter the formal negotiation process.
"With no outcome reached in 50 years, it is no longer possible to hold negotiations on a federal structure in Cyprus," Tatar said.
He also commented on the United Nations Security Council's discussion on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' Cyprus report covering developments between July and December 2021.
Tatar hailed Guterres' statement in his latest report, saying the U.N. chief has confirmed that official talks on the Cyprus issue cannot begin as two sides cannot find a common ground until the question of sovereign equality is answered and the international status of TRNC is recognized.
He also welcomed the United States' withdrawal of its support for the Eastern Mediterranean (EastMed) Pipeline, a planned gas pipeline that would ferry Israeli fuel from the Eastern Mediterranean to Greece, saying "it is not a feasible project."
Recently, Greek sources told Reuters that the U.S. had voiced its concerns over the planned subsea pipeline to provide natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe, a project strongly opposed by Turkey.
The U.S. decision is an apparent U-turn on the project once supported by the Trump administration.
Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration and Israel have approved an agreement for the EastMed pipeline, which has been in the planning stage for several years. The countries had aimed to reach a final investment decision this year and have the 6 billion euro ($6.82 billion) scheme completed by 2025 to help Europe diversify its energy resources.
On the partial reopening of the Varosha (Maraş) region in the TNRC in October 2020, Tatar said through this step, they gave a message to the whole world that "the game has now changed in Cyprus, and the Turkish Cypriot side has developed a new vision regarding the Cyprus issue."
The partial reopening of the region has contributed to the economic structure and tourism potential of the TRNC, Tatar noted.
Varosha had virtually become a ghost town as it remained cut off from the world for some 47 years.
A portion of the region – just about 3.5% of the total area – was reopened in October 2020, with people welcome to visit between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.
Varosha was abandoned after a 1984 U.N. Security Council resolution saying that only its original inhabitants could resettle the town.
Entry into the town was forbidden except for Turkish army personnel stationed in the TRNC.
Turkish and TRNC authorities have repeatedly called on Greek Cypriots and other citizens who own assets in Varosha to apply to the Immovable Property Commission.
Decadeslong dispute
Cyprus has been mired in a decadeslong dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.
In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation of the island led to Turkey’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.
It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom.
The Greek Cypriot administration entered the European Union in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted a U.N. plan to end the longstanding dispute.
Azerbaijani delegation in TRNC
Meanwhile, Tatar on Thursday received an Azerbaijani delegation headed by Azerbaijan's Republican People's Party leader Badraddin Guliyev.
Tatar said he was pleased to receive the delegation in "this meaningful visit," said a statement by the Presidency of the TRNC.
Tatar said the TRNC has always been close to the "motherland" Turkey and that he is glad to see recent rapprochement with Turkic states as well as Azerbaijan's victory in Karabakh.
The TRNC has fought for its own struggle in the Eastern Mediterranean and won its freedom, Tatar said, adding: "We are pleased that our relations with our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters have gone further and that social and cultural contacts have increased."
"Azerbaijan shows great interest to us. I interview many journalists and participate in television shows. We are a nation of the same lineage, states that share the same culture, have a common destiny, and stand by each other in all kinds of struggles," Tatar noted.
"There is a Republic of Turkey, which we all respect. There are various, diverse and strong ties that bind us together. The Azerbaijani people are our brothers. What goes through my heart is the increase in political ties at the highest level in a short time," he added.
Tatar also said bilateral relations are improving each day in various fields.