UK’s Raab ‘welcomes’ Ersin Tatar’s election
BRITISH Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has “welcomed” Ersin Tatar’s election. Mr Tatar was elected as the new North Cyprus president on October 18.
Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Mr Raab wrote: “The UK stands ready to support the @UN process on #Cyprus. Today I welcomed @Ersinrtatar to his role as leader of the Turkish Cypriot community and discussed the prospects for a Cyprus peace settlement.”
Mr Raab’s tweet came a day after he spoke with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades to “reiterate the UK’s support for a peace settlement on the island”.
The UK is encouraging “all parties to engage in Cyprus peace talks” Mr Raab added.
On Monday Baroness Sugg, a junior minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, said in reply to written questions from pro- TRNC Northern Irish peer Lord Maginnis that the British High Commissioner, Stephen Lillie, was “in contact with Mr Ersin Tatar on October 20, following his election as leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, to congratulate him on his new role and express hope for an early return to Cyprus settlement talks”.
Lord Maginnis had asked if the British government had congratulated Mr Tatar and, if so, “whether the UK High Commissioner treats the governments of the Republic of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus equally diplomatically”. Baroness Sugg’s response added: “The Turkish Cypriot community is recognised in Cyprus’ constitution. As such, whilst the UK does not recognise the selfdeclared ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ and does not treat the Turkish Cypriot community equally diplomatically, we do engage with the Turkish Cypriot community.” Meanwhile on Thursday Mr Tatar received a small delegation led by the head of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar. Mr Tatar’s new aides Ergün Olgun and Osman Ertuğ were also present. According to a statement released by Mr Tatar’s office, the president told Ms Spehar that negotiations for a federal settlement in Cyprus were “in the past”. Any potential solution should be based on “two states and equal sovereignty, Mr Tatar said. The two also discussed the issue of Maraş, a planned visit to the island by the UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres’s “temporary” Cyprus adviser Jane Holl Lute and plans to hold an “informal” conference involving the two sides of Cyprus, the UN and the island’s “guarantor” powers Turkey, Greece and the UK.