Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu gives interview to TAK

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has given its consent to the appointment of a Personal Envoy by the United Nations Secretary-General. In this regard, the Turkish Cypriot side has clearly put on record its expectation that the Personal Envoy of the UNSG, Ms. Maria Angela Holguin Cuéllar, who will assume her duties in a short time, will conclude her duty of determining whether common ground exists between the two sides on the island, within 6 months’ time.

It is a well-known fact that there exist no common ground between the two sides on the island. Greek Cypriot side has been deceiving the international community by paying lip service to a so-called “federation” model for the last 50 years in order to play for time.

Cyprus Conference which was held in Crans-Montana, Switzerland in 2017 was considered as a “last ditch effort” to solve the Cyprus issue by all the relevant parties involved. At the Conference, Greek Cypriot side rejected, once again, the notion of sharing power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriot side. Thus, with the failure of the Cyprus Conference, the possibility of reaching an agreement based on the “bi-zonal, bi-communal federation model” in Cyprus has also ceased to exist.

In the aftermath of the failure of the Cyprus Conference, UN Secretary-General called on the parties to think and develop ideas “outside the box”. In line with the calls of the UNSG’, the Turkish Cypriot side has developed a new vision and accordingly announced it to the international community at the 5+UN informal meeting held in Geneva on 27-29 April, 2021.

The Turkish Cypriot side is of the view that a new cooperation model should be established on the island, which will take into account the realities on the ground, i.e. the existence of two independent and sovereign States.

TRNC’s new vision essentially envisages the acknowledgement and reaffirmation of the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, namely sovereign equality and the equal international status of their State.
This new vision sets a new basis on the prospects of formal negotiations where both sides would engage in a mutually agreeable cooperative relationship based on good neighbourly relations.

TRNC’s new vision envisages a brand new negotiation process that would not “continue from where it was left off”. It emphasizes that a new process could only start if the inequality of status between the two sides is rectified.

Therefore, we sincerely believe that 6 months would be a sufficient period of time for the Personal Envoy of the UNSG to determine whether common ground exists or not between the two sides on the island.

At the end of her tenure, we expect from the Personal Envoy to provide a report which must present, in a clear and impartial manner, the realities on the island as well as whether a common ground exists between the two sides. The report must also include realistic suggestions regarding steps that could be taken in the future.

Our approval to the appointment of the Personal Envoy of the UNSG does not, in any way, mean that there is any change in the new vision and policy of the TRNC.

The call made by H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, to the international community on the margins of the UN General Assembly for the past two years is a clear proof of this determined attitude.

We believe that the appointment of a Personal Envoy presents us with an opportunity to put on record once again our new vision vis-à-vis the Cyprus issue.