Turkish Cypriot leader discusses TRNC’s position on Cyprus with UN chief

By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar said Tuesday he had a bilateral meeting with the UN secretary general on Sept. 25 and discussed with him in detail the possibility of an agreement in Cyprus with the cooperation of two states living side by side.

Speaking a a press conference at Ercan International Airport in Lefkosa after completing his visit to New York at the invitation of Antonio Guterres, Tatar said he followed the 76th UN General Assembly and attended the opening of the Turkevi Center, or Turkish House, across from UN headquarters.

"The Cyprus issue has been going on for half a century. I am in no hurry. I never said that 'I will finish this job in three months’ like previous presidents. My position is the sovereignty and state policy put forward by our founding President Rauf Raif Denktas," he said.

Noting that it is very important to be able to talk about two states in Cyprus, Tatar said an agreement on a federal basis will no longer yield results in Cyprus.

Underlining that in his speech at the General Assembly, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also declared his support for the new policy of the Turkish Cypriots, which is a two-state solution on the basis of sovereign equality, Tatar emphasized that this gives them strength.

He added that he will inform the party leaders in the TRNC, the Cabinet and the Parliament about his contacts in New York.