TRNC Leader Agrees to Dinner with President of the Republic of Cyprus

The President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, has returned to the island after attending the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During a press conference at Ercan Airport, the Turkish Cypriot leader provided an overview of his trip and discussed his meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

At the airport, Tatar was greeted by the Speaker of the TRNC Assembly, Zorlu Töre, the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Erhan Arıklı, as well as other civilian and military officials.

In his statement to the press, Tatar shared that over the course of his week in New York, he had met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ahmet Yıldız, Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington Sedat Önal, and several organizations and media representatives.

However, the highlight of his trip was his meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, which took place last Saturday evening.

Following the meeting, Ersin Tatar expressed his gratitude to the UN Secretary-General for his “brave leadership in addressing global crises and challenges.”

During their discussion, Tatar reminded Guterres that President Erdoğan, in his speeches at the 77th, 78th, and 79th UN sessions, called on the international community to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and establish direct relations with it. Erdoğan also emphasized that a federation-based solution is no longer viable.

Tatar pointed out that the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy to Cyprus, Angela Holguín Cuéllar, who completed her mission on July 12, had found no common ground for resuming negotiations.

Nevertheless, the Turkish Cypriot side remains ready to return to the negotiating table to resolve the Cyprus issue, provided certain conditions are met. These include the recognition of sovereign equality and equal international status, as well as the lifting of embargoes and restrictions.

“We are now proposing a new plan for Cyprus, one that offers a realistic and sustainable solution where two states can coexist in good neighborly relations and cooperation. We don’t want to dwell on the past. We want to look ahead to a future of prosperity and stability. Together, we can make Cyprus a beacon of peace in the region,” Tatar said.

The TRNC leader also highlighted the increasing pressure from the Greek Cypriot side against Turkish Cypriots, in addition to the existing embargoes and restrictions, and he called on the UN Secretary-General to intervene.

In response, António Guterres shared that he was considering bringing both sides together for an informal dinner.

“I responded positively to António Guterres' proposal for an informal dinner with the Greek Cypriot leader, which won’t be a formal part of the Cyprus negotiation process,” Tatar stated.

Tatar further suggested that since there is “no common understanding” at present, an informal consultative meeting, known as 4+1, could be held. This would involve the leaders of the two communities, the UN Secretary-General, and representatives from the governments of Greece and Turkey to discuss Cyprus’s future.