Turkey’s vice president receives Turkish Cypriot premier

ANKARA

Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay received the prime minister of Turkish Cyprus at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara on Sept. 29.

Approaches to the Cyprus dispute and the latest developments on the eastern Mediterranean were discussed during the meeting.

Stressing that negotiations were always pursued on a federal basis in the past, Turkish Cypriot premier Ersin Tatar said that a federal solution did not give hope anymore and that such a partnership would cause the Turkish Cypriot people to suffer.

“In the new process that emerges due to the developments in the eastern Mediterranean, we want to protect our own state on the basis of sovereign equality, to keep it alive and to maintain our relations with Turkey in the same way,” he added.

Touching upon Turkish Cyprus’ fight against COVID-19 and the measures taken in this process, Tatar said that 750 million ($97 million) of the 2.3 billion-lira ($296 million) package that Turkey has committed to provide is used.

Tatar also stated that 117 million liras ($9 million) of the package will be used by Turkish Cyprus after the meeting.

Meanwhile, the invitation of Tatar to Ankara before the presidential elections to be held on Oct. 11 in Turkish Cyprus has triggered a fury in the northern part of the island.

Tatar was expected to participate in a “debate,” which was scheduled to be broadcast live on television on Sept. 29, with his rivals. But two hours before the start of the program, it was announced that Tatar had called off his participation due to this visit.

Other candidates, including incumbent Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı and Tatar’s coalition partner, Kudret Özersay, to compete in the elections criticized the timing of the visit as Tatar’s seat was left empty in the debate.

In the first round of the presidential elections, Tatar will challenge Akıncı, former premier Tufan Erhürman, top diplomat Özersay, former minister Serdar Denktaş and Erhan Arıklı.