President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, criticized Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Hristodulidis for what he described as “double-faced politics.” Speaking to the Turkish News Agency Cyprus (TAK), Tatar accused Hristodulidis of advocating for “compromise” at the negotiation table, while simultaneously attempting to pressure the Turkish Cypriot community on the island.

“I am surprised by the statements of Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Hristodulidis. The promises he made in the presence of the UN Secretary-General in Geneva were forgotten the moment he returned to the island,” Tatar remarked.

He further criticized Hristodulidis for his claims about “having the key and a strategy,” questioning what doors that key would open. “That key opens the door to the ongoing unjust and unlawful isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriot community. But the Turkish Cypriots will no longer pass through that door because we are tired of waiting and being deceived,” Tatar added.

Reflecting on the Geneva meetings, Tatar stated that Hristodulidis manipulated public expectations by claiming he would restart negotiations with a five-point proposal. “But what did he present there? He repeated the so-called eight points he had announced on January 20 as a ‘package.’ He even attempted to appropriate the proposal of UN Assistant Secretary-General DiCarlo,” Tatar said, expressing concerns over Hristodulidis’s consistency.

Tatar emphasized that Hristodulidis’s attitude is far from seeking a genuine solution. “Saying ‘compromise’ at the table but working to suppress the Turkish Cypriots on the island is not diplomacy; it is a masked game,” he noted, recalling similar tactics during the Crans Montana talks.

Tatar concluded by criticizing Greek Cypriot attempts to depict the Turkish Cypriot side as the obstacle to peace. “The truth is different. The Turkish Cypriot side is open to negotiation, but not at the expense of sovereignty or statehood,” he said. Tatar stressed that any agreement must be based on equal sovereignty and international status, rejecting the idea of Turkish Cypriots being subjected to Greek Cypriot dominance.