Greek Cypriot mentality unchanged says Tatar

Calls for the removal of Turkish troops and an end to Turkey’s guarantor status are red lines from which the north will not budge, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar said.

“The Greek Cypriot mentality has not changed and is not going to change,” Tatar said, reportedly in response to issues raised by the Greek Cypriot chief negotiator, Andreas Mavroyiannis, in an interview with Simerini on Sunday.

As reported by the Cyprus News Agency, Mavroyiannis said that Turkish Cypriot calls for sovereign equality (essentially two states) “would be the end of us as a country”.

Mavroyiannis used the word “τόπος” literally translating to “place”.

Tatar appears to have interpreted Mavroyiannis’ comments, “our place”, as meaning that “Greek Cypriots are the sole leaders and owners of Cyprus while the Turkish Cypriots are a minority.”

Tatar also objected to what he claims are President Nicos Anastasiades repeated comments on the Turkish Cypriots being a minority – and minorities not having sovereign and political equality – which has “revealed the outdated and racist Greek Cypriot mentality.”