Anastasiades: no dinner date with Tatar

Calls for a two-state solution from Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar are nothing new, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Monday, responding to an interview in which Tatar highlighted Anastasiades had changed a lot from the fervent Anan plan supporter he met 20 years ago.

In an interview published in Phileleftheros on Sunday, Tatar said he would not engage in any negotiations if sovereign rights to equality for Turkish Cypriots and their subsequent international status, were not recognised.

“I am always open to dialogue, meetings and social events,” he said.

According to Anastasiades, during an informal five-party meeting in April 2021 under the auspices of the United Nations, both Turkey and Tatar formalised in writing what they had long sought to achieve: a two-state solution.

Responding to journalist’s questions during an event where Anastasiades laid the foundation stone for the Cyprus museum, the president said there were no arrangements in place for a dinner between the two leaders, to mark Anastasiades’ ending presidency.

If a dinner is to happen, “it will be one of a completely social character, considering Mr Tatar’s positions,” Anastasiades said.

The Turkish Cypriot leader in the interview described Anastasiades as a good person and wished him all the best for the future. His statements implied the dinner was a given.

“I am happy we will have a joint dinner. I first met him 20 years ago. He was a fervent supporter of the Anan plan then. What surprises me with Anastasiades is how much he changed after he became president.”

Asked if there were any developments regarding US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Cyprus, Anastasiades noted there was nothing new.