TRNC President highlights failed federation talks in New York meeting

Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar emphasized the importance of their stance following an informal dinner with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, stating that Guterres’ remark about the lack of common ground was significant.

Upon his return to Northern Cyprus, Tatar addressed reporters at Ercan Airport, calling the meeting useful. He reiterated that formal negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side would only be possible if the sovereignty and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriots were acknowledged.

Tatar highlighted the failure of federation-based negotiations, which have spanned over five decades, culminating in the collapse of talks in 2017 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, when the Greek Cypriot delegation left the table. He conveyed to his counterparts that returning to negotiations under the same framework would be futile.

During the dinner, Tatar reportedly told Guterres and Christodoulides that adhering to U.N. Security Council resolutions from the past 50 years and seeking a solution through that lens was out of touch with current realities. He also reaffirmed that the Turkish Cypriot side would avoid formal talks under such conditions.

Tatar underscored Guterres’ statement about the absence of a common ground between the parties, following the U.N. chief’s press conference after the meeting. “These are important diplomatic messages,” Tatar said, noting that even the U.N. Secretary-General’s personal representative, Maria Angela Holguin, pointed out in her report that both sides maintained distinct positions.

“This makes clear why our position differs,” Tatar added, stressing that their stance was increasingly understood in diplomatic circles.

The meeting, hosted by Guterres, was part of ongoing efforts to resolve the long-standing division of Cyprus, but no immediate breakthrough was announced.