TRNC News Today – 21st July 2014

20th July Peace and Freedom Day was celebrated with ceremonies. President Eroğlu speaks at the ceremony

‘20th July Peace and Freedom Day’ was celebrated with ceremonies in the TRNC. President Derviş Eroğlu gave a speech at the ceremony held for the 40th Anniversary of 20th.July Peace and Freedom Day. In his speech, Eroğlu stressed the importance of the day and said ‘We as the Turkish Cypriot side are ready to reach an agreement based on the realities in Cyprus within the framework of the Joint Statement. We cannot return to the conditions before 1974”.

The full text of Eroğlu’s speech is as follows:

President of the Republic of Motherland Turkey, dear friend, brother Abdullah Gül, Dear member of Motherland Turkey’s delegation, Dear friends and guests from different countries who visit the TRNC to share our enthusiasm, Rugged and faithful TRNC society and our brothers in Anatolia, Welcome.

I greet all of you with love and respect. We are in the blessed Month of Ramadan. The main objective of fasting in Ramadan month is to be able to know how to restrain desire. As I highlighted before, the Turkish Cypriot society is able to reach 20 July by protecting its religion, nation, belief and identity, by restraining its desire, by protecting its sovereignty in unity and by trusting Motherland Turkey. If we did not know how to restrain our desire and work for our personal interest, we would lose our liberty, personality and probably our lives. In the blessed Month of Ramadan, our prior wish from the God is to protect our unity and solidarity and to ensure our perpetual liberty. Another wish from the God is to end wars especially in the world of Islam and in the world and to grant us to live in a peaceful world. We wish belief, conscience and love will dominate the world and injustices, and unjustness and unfruitful conflicts remain behind. I wish bloodshed would stop in our region and rest of the world and Muslim would not shed blood of his Muslim brother, nobody would kill anybody, humans would not persecute each other.

Limiting bloodshed in Palestine is a must. The Palestine issue is required to reach a peaceful agreement respecting the right and law of our brothers. I need to emphasize that the Palestine issue is one of the clearest indicators of the reason for Turkish Cypriots’ insisting on the continuation of active and actual guarantee of Turkey.

Dear President Gul, and honourable guests. Today is our day of rebirth. Today is our day of celebration. It is our day of Peace and Freedom Day. 40 years ago, the Turkish Cypriot people were liberated from being buried in mass graves and completely destroyed by the Peace Operation that was realised by Turkey 40 years ago.

*The island of Cyprus is located in a key point for the marketing of energy resources in the Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia. Therefore the island is indispensable for energy security.

* Economic power can be exercised only by military power. Due to its location, Cyprus is an island that has important advantages for military activities on the land, in the sea and in the air.

When all these facts are considered, it becomes easier to understand why others take a close interest in the Cyprus issue and why the solution process in the Cyprus issue is prolonged. I am a living witness to the different stages of the Cyprus issue since the 1950s. My life adventure which began in a small village in Karpaz, took me to the highest public position to serve our people and the national case. I experienced the pain of war both as an individual and as a family. Therefore I know the value of peace, freedom and human life. I sincerely desire a solution in Cyprus. I and my colleagues are trying hard to achieve this. However wishing for agreement does not mean ignoring the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people, the sensitivities of Turkey.

Parachutists with Turkish flag

Landing at Escape Beach 1974

We are ready to reach an agreement based on the realities in Cyprus within the framework the Joint Statement of 11 February 2014. However, we can never return the conditions before 1974.

Recently we have presented the Greek Cypriot side with a five step road map.

According to the road map, the parties will:-

*Present proposals on all chapters before the summer holiday.

*Engage in a give and take exercise at the end of the August. phase.

*Organise four or five party meetings including the two parties in Cyprus as well as Turkey, Greece and, if it so wished the U.K,. to discuss and conclude the chapter of security and guarantees. Other issues can be discussed on a bilateral basis and the date of the separate simultaneous referenda can be fixed.

*In case of a positive result from the referenda, the new partnership state will be declared and the comprehensive agreement will enter into force immediately and the partnership state will start working.

Otherwise, the relevant parties should meet to discuss the steps that will follow.

In the meeting which we have with Mr. Anastasiades on 24 July, we expect to get his response on this proposal. We wish that such news from the Greek Cypriot press does not deflect the truth.

Dear President, dear guests; If your economic power is not sufficient, your family structure and social structure is corrupt, it is inevitable to experience difficulty. The Turkish Cypriot society started from scratch with its hardworking, entrepreneurship, determination and with the support of Turkey. Despite Greek Cypriot embargoes and isolations, it achieved an economic success. We have 8 universities. Our student number is over 60.000. I wish the number would reach hundred thousand as soon as possible. There is no other country like us that its de-facto population is mostly represented by university students.

The objective on the tourism sector is to reach 60.000 bed capacity and a two million tourist count.

I would like to mention, the water from Turkey which will be transferred to Cyprus by pipelines under the sea. I wish that the project which began on 7 March 2012, also known as “THE PROJECT OF THE CENTURY”, will be completed as soon as possible. In all governments that I established and during all contacts with Turkey, I over-emphasize this project and I thank President Abdullah Gül for his interest on this Project. I also express my gratitude to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan and his government for their determination. On behalf of the Turkish Cypriot society, I thank sincerely the Turkish Nation which shares with us this invaluable natural source.

I wish that the TRNC will experience a big increase in the industry sector based on agricultural production. I believe our national income will increase after this project. I am hopeful for the future and I know that we will reach more brilliant days with the support of Turkey and increase our power and will be proud of our economic developments.

We also have our mistakes and failures but who doesn’t? It is not beneficial to be desperate or adapt ourselves for an agreement based on the wishes of Greek Cypriots. This kind of agreement will harm us. Dear brother, We see Motherland Turkey as a whole . Our respect and love is for Motherland Turkey entirely. President Gül is our brother. His door has always been open to us for the recent seven years as being President and also before while he was a Minister Responsible for the Cyprus issue, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister. He showed us close attention, listened to us and he tried to do his best in order for the Turkish Cypriot people to overcome the problems and to help us reach a better future. I would like to, therefore, thank him by way of this ceremony. As he also mentions, I wish healthy, happy days while continuing serving the nation. The Turkish Cypriot people will never forget him and will always remember him with compliment and grace.

Dear brothers, distinguished guests; To protect our past and know the value of the people who served us, is the need of fidelity. This empowers communities. Therefore, on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot people, I would like to thank again all officials who contributed to the Cyprus issue to reach these days, commemorate the ones with grace who are not with us and send my gratitude to the ones who are with us. I would like to sincerely thank Motherland Turkey’s all time Presidents, Grand National Assembly’s past and present members, all past governments of Turkey and today’s government for protecting and contributing to the National Case.

I would like to express my gratitude towards 20th July Peace Operation’s victorious army of Turkish Armed Forces’ all past and present members and commanders who never left us alone from the first day we started our struggle.

When we look from here, we see Motherland Turkey as a whole, consider and love it as it is.

We have full confidence to Motherland Turkey’s perspective on the Turkish Cypriot people and Cyprus issue.

I would like to commemorate our Freedom Struggle Leader Dr. Fazıl Küçük, who made major contributions to the Turkish Cypriot people while reaching these days and gave his service, our Founder President, Turkish Cypriot Administration Leader in the Peace Operation period Rauf Denktaş, Osman Örek and Burhan Nalbantoğlu with grace and gratitude.

I would like to commemorate Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with love, respect and grace, who inspired us towards freedom and liberation, guided us and set out the principles of modern developments.

I wish God’s grace is on all our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for our freedom and our sovereignty. I would like to thank our veterans and embrace them with love and respect.

Before I end my speech, I would like to once again congratulate everybody’s Peace and Freedom day and wish them many happy and peaceful holidays.

President Eroğlu and Turkish President Gül hold a joint press conference

Turkish President Abdullah Gül, who visited the TRNC to attend celebrations for the 40th Anniversary of 20th July Peace and Freedom Day held a joint press conference with President Derviş Eroğlu.

In his speech during the press conference held at the Presidential Palace on Saturday, Turkish President Gül stressed that both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side are working hard to reach a comprehensive settlement based on the UN parameters in the island.

Expressing the need for a timetable, Gül said that if negotiations fail, alternative solutions will be discussed. Turkey will never concede the Turkish Cypriots to become a minority within a Greek Cypriot administration.

Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan sends a letter to President Eroğlu

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a letter to President Derviş Eroğlu regarding the 40th Anniversary of 20th.July Peace and Freedom Day. In his letter, Erdoğan expressed that Turkey with a sense of responsibility will do its part for the Turkish Cypriots and will continue to give all kinds of support to the TRNC to strengthen in all fields.

Stressing that the ‘Cyprus Peace Operation’ ended inhuman treatment by Greek Cypriots towards the Turkish Cypriots, Erdoğan expressed that it provided peace in the island and set the ground for peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. After the Peace Operation in 1974, Turkish Cypriots started to look to the future with confidence and hope.

Moreover, stressing that Turkish Cypriots put forth their sincere will towards a solution in Cyprus, Erdoğan underlined that unfair isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriots should be lifted.