TRNC President Ersin Tatar gave a speech at a conference entitled “The Struggle for Existence of Turkish Cypriots from past to present” at Ankara Social Sciences University.
Stating that there have been 80,000 martyrs in Cyprus since 1571, Turkish Cypriots struggled for many years and the Turkish existence has been preserved, Tatar noted that the United Kingdom seized the island of Cyprus from the Turks without firing a bullet, and did not return it when leaving, but established a partnership republic.
Stating that the UK does not treat the Turkish Cypriot people equally even today and that it prevents the freedom of travel of the Turkish Cypriot people, even on an important issue for humanity such as vaccination, Tatar said that they have made the necessary negotiations on this issue and demanded recognition of the vaccines recognised by the EU.
Stating that the realities of Cyprus should be acknowledged now, Tatar touched on the Cyprus negotiations, the Eastern Mediterranean, the years of national struggle and noted that the struggle has continued.
Emphasising that Turkey’s presence on the island and the right of guarantorship and the presence of the Turkish army are indispensable for the Turkish Cypriot people, Tatar stated that the Turkish Cypriot people and Turkey will not be deceived and that they will continue to be a power in the blue motherland airspace in the region.
Tatar said, “The truth in Cyprus is that the two separate sovereign states are equal states” and emphasised that they will continue to work for the further development of relations with Turkey.
Expressing that the Turkish Cypriot people accept the existence and the state of the Greek Cypriots, yet the Greek Cypriots accept neither the Turkish Cypriot people nor their state, Tatar noted that a fair and sustainable agreement to be made in Cyprus by taking lessons from the past can continue with the cooperation of the two states living side by side.
President Ersin Tatar stated that the Greek Cypriots want the continuation of the Republic of Cyprus, adding that they will not come to a solution by force, because there may be a conflict again in case of force, they do not want this, they want to look to the future with confidence and peace.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office
