Turkish Cypriot leader stresses equal international status to restart negotiations with south

LEFKOSA

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar said on Monday that "to restart negotiations, our sovereign equality and equal international status must 'certainly' be recognized."

Tatar received Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's Personal Envoy to Cyprus, who arrived at the TRNC Sunday.

During the meeting, which lasted about an hour, Cuellar was accompanied by Colin Stewart, Chief of Mission of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. Cuellar last visited the TRNC in January.

'Turkish side always approaches every agreement positively'

Delivering a statement to reporters after the meeting, President Tatar highlighted that he and Cuellar had the opportunity to discuss the Cyprus issue in depth.

Tatar said he expressed to Cuellar the process of expulsion of the Turkish Cypriots from the "Republic of Cyprus," which they used to be partners from 1960 to 1963. TRNC President said: "To restart the negotiations, our sovereign equality and equal international status must certainly be recognized."

"There is a message in the 'sovereign equality and equal international status' thesis that we have advocated for 3 years. The Turkish side has hitherto approached every agreement positively. Despite the Annan Plan Referendum, the Turkish side faced embargoes and hindrances."

Pointing out that the TRNC hit hurdles set by the Greek Cypriot Adm. and, therefore, the European Union (EU) even when negotiating with the Turkic states, Tatar said that none of the pledges made to the Turkish Cypriots on the Annan Plan Referendum were kept.

Making statements to reporters separately from Tatar, Cuellar said that she was glad to come to island of Cyprus for the second time and striving to comprehend the Cyprus issue by meeting with political parties, non-governmental organizations and representatives from various layers of society.

It was reported that Cuellar, who carries on her contacts in Northern Cyprus, will meet again with President Tatar on March 14.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel from Istanbul