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Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar got a warmer welcome than expected during an appearance on TalkTV in the UK this week, where he pitched his two-state vision for Cyprus to a British audience. But it wasn’t just Tatar’s talking points that raised eyebrows; it was the host’s unusually sympathetic framing of the decades-old Cyprus issue.
Appearing on Kevin O’Sullivan’s show, Tatar was introduced as the “president of northern Cyprus,” a term only Turkey officially uses. O’Sullivan, a veteran broadcaster known for his provocative takes, not only echoed Ankara’s preferred terminology but also described the north as “democratic,” “prosperous,” and a place “the world is happy with,” comments that many saw as aligning closely with Turkish narratives.
“You are a democratic country,” O’Sullivan said during the segment. “You’ve only been recognized by your sister nation, Turkey, and yet you're doing well.”
He went on to paint a simplified picture of the conflict: “Southern Cyprus was part of Greece… and they want you to become part of them. Which you don’t want.”
Tatar, clearly pleased, told the host, “You've summed it up very well.”
The interview drew mixed reactions, particularly among Cypriot viewers and diaspora communities in the UK. Some critics saw it as an attempt by Turkish lobbying circles to repackage the north’s internationally unrecognized status under more favorable terms. Others were alarmed at how easily the host appeared to blur historical and legal lines, especially regarding the 1974 Turkish invasion and the ongoing military occupation of the island’s northern third.
Still, Tatar’s presence on British airwaves is part of a broader effort to gain international traction for a two-state solution, a model that has been firmly rejected by the United Nations, the EU, and the Republic of Cyprus, which remains the island’s sole internationally recognized government.
The visit comes amid continued diplomatic stalemates and just months after the latest UN-led efforts to restart negotiations hit another wall.
