Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar has condemned the Greek Cypriot Administration for what he described as "terrorist activities," referring to the recent arrests of individuals who purchased property in the TRNC.
Speaking after a meeting with María Angela Holguin Cuellar, the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy for Cyprus, on Monday, Tatar voiced strong criticism of the detentions and said he had urged the UN to relay his concerns directly to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Tatar also said he had informed Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides that the arrests were damaging the already fragile peace process.
"The Greek Cypriot side is trying to suffocate us with embargoes and isolation. These arrests are part of a calculated campaign to bring us to our knees," he said, adding, "We conveyed to the UN that unless this issue is resolved, the trilateral talks will yield no progress."
‘Confidence-building measures agreed’
Cuéllar, speaking briefly after the meeting, said she took note of Tatar’s concerns and emphasised the importance of building on the confidence-building measures agreed during the Geneva talks in March.
She said her goal was to help both sides achieve tangible outcomes ahead of a planned meeting in New York in July.
The UN envoy added that she would next meet with Christodoulides on May 30 and expressed hope that dialogue between the parties could still produce common ground.
