Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the recognition of sovereignty for the occupied north as a precondition for resuming negotiations on Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot media reported on Wednesday.
During a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, Erdogan reportedly emphasised the need for “sovereign equality” and “equal international status” for Turkish Cypriots. He suggested that solutions beyond a federation could be discussed in UN-sponsored talks if these conditions were met.
Erdogan asserted that recognising the occupied north as a state was key to resolving the Cyprus issue, according to the reports.
The Turkish leader’s stance was welcomed by Ersin Tatar, the leader of the Turkish Cypriot administration, who praised Erdogan’s address to the 79th UN General Assembly. Tatar reiterated the position that any future agreement would need to be “between two states”.
Tatar also attended an investment conference organised by the Turkish-American Business Council in New York, where he called on businessmen to invest in the occupied north.
The international community, including the UN, does not recognise the ‘TRNC’, considering it part of the Republic of Cyprus.
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