There is no legal obstacle to turning Varos into a civilian zone, said Turkish leader Ersin Tatar, although he said it was not right to take premature steps. The T / C leader said that in case of no solution Cyprus will remain divided however, he ruled out annexation of the occupied territories to Turkey.
Answering questions from the Turkish Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Ersin Tatar said they would attend a five-member (5 plus 1) summit to be organized by the UN to express their views. "There is no question of retreating there. We tell everyone who comes here ", he said. Ersin Tatar said that "for the first time in years, perhaps, the Turkish side is preparing for negotiations in full unanimity with Turkey, which relieves us while strengthening our position."
For the Varosia, Ersin Tatar stated that the infrastructure and the cleaning of the area continue and that after years they managed to reach a pace in favor of the T / C. He claimed that the Turkish Cypriots have succeeded at a global level, while he claimed that if one looks at the realities in Cyprus now there is a new situation. "Turkey is my motherland and he was always by my side. Turkey is a guarantor country. Turkey is the largest country in the region, is the most powerful and leading country. "When the Turkish Cypriot side moves with the Turkish Republic in this region, the scales are on our side," said Ersin Tatar.
According to the Turkish Cypriot leader, conditions in Cyprus and the region have changed. "Cyprus is not the old Cyprus, the eastern Mediterranean is not the eastern Mediterranean, conditions are changing." He argued that two states living side by side on the basis of sovereign equality could work together. "Cooperation can be done by sharing energy resources. "Cooperation can be done in other issues as well, but it is essential to be side by side", he said. He argued that the federation could be created out of necessity but they themselves do not have such a need.
Asked about the allocation of natural resources in case of an agreement, Ersin Tatar said that the T / Cs are entitled to at least 30% of the natural wealth. He stated that the Greek Cypriots also accept that the Turkish Cypriots have a right to natural wealth, but with his 'I am the sovereign' approach.
Ersin Tatar said that in case there is no agreement the island will remain divided and will be even more integrated with Turkey. Asked if it will be annexed to Turkey, he said that there will be no issue of annexation on the agenda and that "the Turkish Cypriots are used to self-government, they are very dependent on Turkey".
Asked if Varosha would be converted from a military to a civilian zone, Ersin Tatar said that "Over time it will be an area like any other area of 'tdbk'. There is no legal obstacle to its conversion into a civilian zone. We believe that it is not right to take premature steps ". As he said a lot of infrastructure work is currently underway and added that the second part of the projects will start soon.
Source: KYPE
