TRNC President Tatar says direct flights to the TRNC should not be blocked
TRNC President Tatar says direct flights to the TRNC should not be blocked
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, emphasized the necessity of launching direct flights to Ercan Airport in the country, stating, “If there are direct flights from the UK, especially from London, it would benefit both our economy and tourism. It would also strengthen ties between the British and Turkish Cypriots. If a company plans such a flight, it should not be obstructed.”
Tatar made these remarks in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, where he is conducting official visits, during interviews with AA and TRT. Reminding that the UK is a guarantor state in Cyprus, he noted that Britain was a sovereign power on the island until the 1960s.
Explaining that the Turkish Cypriot people were not a problematic group under British rule, Tatar said that Turkish Cypriots served as police officers during British administration and fought against those trying to annex Cyprus to Greece.
"The British meet more with the Greek Cypriots"
Tatar noted that the British, who left the island following the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus on August 16, 1960, retained two sovereign military bases in the southern part of the island. “These bases are very important for the UK, especially nowadays. Britain withdrew after securing two bases. Because the bases are in the south, unfortunately, their relations with the Greek Cypriots have progressed further. In the past year, (Greek Cypriot leader Nikos) Christodoulides met with the British Prime Minister three times,” he said.
Saying, “There are great injustices committed against us by the UK,” Tatar pointed out that there are no direct flights or direct trade with the TRNC. “I have many British friends and close relations with British MPs. There are many Britons who support and love us politically. However, we are unable to overcome the British establishment, the so-called institutional system, and we continue to face these injustices,” he added.
Meeting with UK Minister of State Doughty
Tatar said he met with Stephen Doughty, the UK Minister of State for Europe and North America.
Expressing his expectation for the UK to take steps to ease the isolation imposed on Turkish Cypriots, especially after Brexit, Tatar noted that instead of easing, pressure has increased.
He stressed that the presence of UK bases on the island has made Southern Cyprus a target for Israelis, saying: “If you follow the news in Southern Cyprus, you will see that the Greek Cypriot public is very uncomfortable. There are those who call Southern Cyprus 'Little Israel' due to Christodoulides' policies. Many Israelis have settled in Larnaca and Limassol.”
Tatar reiterated that Turkish Cypriots are one of the founding and equal sovereign partners of the Republic of Cyprus established in 1960, and noted that the UK was one of the guarantors of that system.
"We suffered genocide, and the UK just watched from its bases"
Tatar reminded that today, around 30,000 Britons live in the TRNC and more than 300,000 Turkish Cypriots live in the UK. He added:
“Despite everything, and despite the injustices committed against us, we are living as an independent state in Cyprus. I told Doughty that if conditions are met and a common ground is established, we could enter a new negotiation process, but for that, the sovereignty of Turkish Cypriots must be recognized. Because the UK was the architect of the system. When the UK left Cyprus, it helped set up the system in that form.”
Tatar emphasized that the UK did not respond to attempts to annex the island to Greece at the time, saying: “Those advocating for enosis (union with Greece) killed thousands of our people. We experienced genocide. They tried everything to wipe out the Turkish Cypriots. And the UK just watched from its bases. We trusted in our Turkey, fought our struggle, experienced displacement, lost thousands of our people, and now we have our own state.”
He underlined that if there is to be a settlement in Cyprus, it must be based on a two-state solution, and that it is impossible for Cyprus to reunify, for Turkey to withdraw from the island, or for the guarantor system to be abolished.
Tatar said he conveyed to Doughty that the UK should shape its policy based on this reality.
"If a direct flight is planned, it should not be blocked"
Tatar stated that the TRNC can only connect with the world through Turkey. “The right to travel is also a right of Turkish Cypriots,” he said.
He noted that Ercan Airport serves over 10 million passengers annually and is one of the most important airports on the island and in the region, even larger than the two airports in the Greek Cypriot Administration.
Responding to past claims that direct flights to Ercan were not permitted due to security concerns, Tatar said there is no such issue and added: “If there are direct flights from the UK, especially from London, it would benefit both our economy and tourism. It would also strengthen ties between the British and Turkish Cypriots. If a company plans such a flight, it should not be blocked.”
Tatar stated that former UK minister and former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith is one of the MPs supporting direct flights to the TRNC.
He said that around 80 flights are operated daily from Turkey to Ercan Airport and that flights from Europe must first land in Turkey, even if no passengers board or disembark there.
Tatar also noted that due to potential backlash, some meetings in the UK are held discreetly, but in every meeting, they make sure to explain the legitimacy of the TRNC’s position.