Tatar interview dismissed as another attempt by leader to push sovereignty rights

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s willingness to open an informal dialogue with the Greek Cypriot side was on Monday called “another attempt on his part to promote his positions on the north’s sovereign rights as a separate entity”.

Tatar, in an interview with daily Phileleftheros, said that talks could take place only if there was formal recognition of the sovereignty of both sides.

He added that if the acceptance of the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriots was brought before the UN Security Council “and the Greek Cypriots are recognised and do not object, then we can negotiate the Cyprus problem in all its aspects”.

According to a source quoted by the Cyprus News Agency, “the Turkish Cypriot leader was just trying to reinforce his claims of sovereignty in the north, which he considers a separate entity and is therefore entitled to make demands and proposals.”

The same source added that a dialogue was firstly initiated by President Nicos Anastasiades, “who tabled a number of proposals that, if adopted, would benefit both communities and would help mitigate the climate for a return to negotiations on the Cyprus issue.”

Anastasiades’ proposals will be presented to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken by Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides during his official visit to Washington DC set to take place on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, news emerged that Anastasiades is set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Brest on February 10 while in France to take part in the One Ocean Summit, where leaders from different countries are set to discuss issues related to the protection of the seas.