FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has said that continued support for a federal solution to the Cyprus issue amounts to backing the status quo, arguing instead for a two-state model.
Speaking to the Turkish Cypriot newspaper Kıbrıs, Tatar said upcoming elections in the north will be a contest between proponents of federation and supporters of separate states.
He claimed past summit talks failed because Greek Cypriots refused to share power and rejected political equality.
Tatar said his two-state proposal, based on sovereign equality and equal international status, is gaining acceptance with Turkey’s full support.
He cited the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’s’ observer status in the Organization of Turkic States and his reception as a “head of state” in Turkic countries.
“The federation is dead,” Tatar said. “We are working toward a model that reflects the will of our people and ensures our path forward with our own state.”