TRNC President Reflects on Meeting with Christodoulides

President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, has shared his reflections following a meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, held Monday in the UN buffer zone. During his statement, Tatar addressed both recent property-related arrests in the Republic of Cyprus and the ongoing discussions around opening new border crossing points.

In a statement to the Turkish News Agency – Cyprus (TAK), President Tatar stressed the importance of establishing additional crossing points between the north and south of the island. He noted that in 2024 alone, over 8 million border crossings were recorded, and that number is expected to rise in 2025. Currently, more than 65% of those crossings happen at the Metehan checkpoint.

“Opening new checkpoints is a necessity,” Tatar said. “I made it clear to the Greek Cypriot leader — this is not something to be taken lightly. Regardless of our political differences, people are going on with their lives, and these crossings remain essential.”

Tatar recalled that during the Geneva talks, he had proposed opening new transport corridors in the Haspolat and Akinciilar areas, which could be used by both communities. This, he said, would help ease congestion at the Metehan checkpoint. In contrast, the Greek Cypriot side continues to prioritize a pedestrian crossing near Lokmaci — a proposal the Turkish Cypriot side currently considers unnecessary.

President Tatar also criticized the recent arrests of property owners and real estate agents in the south, calling them a direct challenge to the legitimacy of the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) — the body responsible for handling property claims in the north.

“These individuals are not criminals. Trying to intimidate Turkish Cypriots through such actions helps no one,” he said.

“They seem to believe that by creating pressure and fear, they can force us to the negotiating table on their terms. But that won’t work. We will never surrender or play along with this game. We are consulting closely with Turkey, and the European Union is fully aware of what’s going on. The current order has been in place for 60 years — it’s not something they can simply undo. Our aim is to take these cases to European courts and have the rulings overturned,” Tatar concluded.