No Common Ground Found as UN Envoy Seeks Restart of Cyprus Reunification Talks

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar is trying to restart reunification talks for Cyprus but has not yet found common ground, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar told Sputnik on Friday.

To date, the UN envoy has made two visits to the island since she took office in January, and will mark her third visit in May, according to Tatar.

"The UN Secretary-General has a personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar who has just completed her three-months-long assignment. She's got another three months, she's trying to find out whether there's common ground or not for negotiations to start," Tatar said. "However, up to now, there is no common ground."

Tatar noted that Northern Cyprus is sovereign and demands that its equal status is re-acknowledged by the international community and the United Nations.

"We are co-founders of the Republic of Cyprus, but unfortunately, the Greek Cypriots forget this and they want to treat the Turkish Cypriots as a minority and impose an unacceptable solution to Turkish Cypriots," Tatar said. "We will never accept this."

Tatar emphasized that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus seeks a practical solution that is fair and sustainable.

"This is very important. It should be fair, lasting, sustainable and practical, because at the moment, we have two states in Cyprus. We have two peoples, two democracies, two authorities and this has been the case for 60 years," Tatar said. "Therefore, there is no way that you can switch the clock back."

Tatar's Friday scheduled additionally included a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during which the Cypriot leader indicated he would be raising the matter of the ill-treatment of Turkish Cypriots by the international community.

Tatar noted that an embargo had been imposed on Northern Cyprus that restricts its economic growth.

"It's so unfair on Turkey Cypriots," Tatar said. "Greek Cypriots have hijacked the state and the Republic of Cyprus is basically a pure Greek republic."

Cyprus has been de facto partitioned into Greek and Turkish portions since 1974. Turkish Cypriots proclaimed in 1983 the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus with Turkiye's backing. Negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus have been underway nearly since the island's partition.

The UN has tried to mediate reunification talks, but negotiations have reached an impasse. While Greek Cypriots say they believe the issue can be settled only on the basis of UN decisions within the framework of a two-zone federation, the Turkish Cypriots advocate for a solution to involve two sovereign states.

Tatar further noted that Turkish Cypriots established a state in 1963 out of necessity and demand that their right to be sovereign is respected. "After sixty years, we demand that our sovereignty be re-acknowledged. Our sovereignty is in the constitution. Therefore, it's our right," Tatar said.