Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has called on the UN to present an unbiased and fair report on Cyprus, noting that direct recognition of the north was not a prerequisite, but direct trade was.

In statements on returning to the north on Tuesday after meeting UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin the day before in London, Tatar said he asked her to prepare “an unbiased and fair report” to the UN chief.

Although he said direct recognition of the ‘TRNC’ was not a prerequisite, he did insist on direct trade, flights and relations with the international community.

Tatar, who had been in the UK to promote cultural ties and tourism, said “Britain has two sovereign bases in Cyprus, in which no one can intervene, and because of these bases Cyprus could become a target.”

The Turkish Cypriot leader said he “thanked Holguin, whom he met at the ‘TRNC’ offices in London, for her efforts”.

According to Tatar, Holguin’s six-month mandate has expired and efforts to resume the negotiating process on the Cyprus problem had not yielded results.

 “It is not possible to pick up negotiations from where they left off in Crans-Montana,” he said.

“A new negotiating process can begin if the equal status of the Turkish Cypriots is accepted.”

Tatar stressed that the sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriots is not negotiable.

“We did not say that the ‘TRNC’ must be recognised, but that the demands for direct trade, flights and contacts (with the international community), which we call ‘3D’ are imperative,” he said.

“We asked Holguin to prepare an unbiased and fair report. This report will be submitted to the UN secretary general on July 10 and he will decide the next procedure.”

The Turkish Cypriot leader also expressed the north’s concern over alleged actions in the south “aiming at harming the ‘TRNC’ economy”.

Tatar said the Turkish Cypriots left 500,000 acres of property in the south in 1974 and that the property aspect of the Cyprus problem could be solved with exchange, compensation and restoration.

He announced that he would be briefing the leaders of ‘parliamentary’ political parties on developments and that he would also be meeting with Unficyp chief and the UN special representative on Cyprus Colin Stewart.

In the UK, Tatar visited Manchester, where he met with Turkish Cypriots.

In London he participated in a Turkish Cypriot cultural festival along with former MP Iain Duncan Smith, who according to Tatar will promote direct flights to the north.

Tatar presented his ‘two-state’ policy on Cyprus to British MPs at an event at Chatham House.

“The UK should review its policy on the Cyprus problem after the elections,” Tatar said.