Tatar Slams Christodoulides Over Border Crossing Deadlock

In a statement to the press, Tatar said progress had been made on several issues, including the establishment of a bi-communal Youth Committee, cooperation on environmental matters, and the preservation of cemeteries and cultural heritage sites. However, he said the talks on new crossing points had stalled at the last moment due to Christodoulides’ inflexible stance.

Tatar explained that the Turkish Cypriot side proposed a new crossing route through Kiracıköy, entirely within territory under their control, while the Greek Cypriot side insisted on a route through Baferzoğlu. Military and security assessments deemed the Baferzoğlu route unsuitable, he noted.

As an alternative, Tatar said the Turkish Cypriot side proposed a five-kilometre extension to the existing route to allow passage to the south. Despite Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s support for this compromise, the proposal was rejected.

Tatar also revealed that after rejecting the alternative, the Greek Cypriot side proposed a crossing via Erenköy, which was likewise considered unacceptable for military reasons. “Their approach is not based on compromise but on imposition,” he said.

Tatar added that UN Secretary-General António Guterres has tasked his personal envoy, María Ángela Holguín, with following up on the matter. He concluded by thanking Minister Fidan and his delegation for their continued support.