President Ersin Tatar received Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chairman Numan Kurtulmuş and New Azerbaijan Party Deputy Chairman and MYK Chairman Tahir Budaqov and their respective delegations.
The President, who stated that the TRNC, Republic of Türkiye and Azerbaijan are “One Nation, Three States”, underlined the strong historical and cultural bonds that exists between the three countries and the rest of the Turkic world.
President Tatar, welcoming the officials to the Presidency, also conveyed his warm regards to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President İlham Aliyev, adding: “The Turkish Cypriots are an integral part of the Turkic peoples in the eastern Mediterranean with deep historical, cultural and geographical bonds. The TRNC will in 2023 be commemorating its 40th anniversary and is continuing to strengthen with the passing of time.”
Stating that the TRNC, which is a part of the Turkic world, “needs your support to continue to get stronger, to enhance the national unity,” the President added that “the status of the TRNC has been upgraded through the observer membership of the Organisation of Turkic States, on November 11, 2022”.
President Tatar said: “This membership [to the Organisation of Turkic States] is very important to us. . .because these are important political decisions which consolidates our existence.” He underlined the TRNC’s “special relationship and solidarity with Azerbaijan” and said “the Turkish Cypriot People have always supported our brothers and sisters in Azerbaijan and also celebrated the victory of Nagorno-Karabakh”. The President added: “May our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Karabakh rest in peace and may the veterans live a long and healthy life.”
Stating that the “Cyprus national cause is essentially a cause of Turkishness,” President Tatar stated: “The Turkish Cypriot people have fought to defend their sovereign equality and equal international status which is our inherent right. We have lived on this island since 1571. In 1960 we established a partnership republic on the basis of equality with the Greek Cypriots. However, we were forced to defend ourselves from island-wide racist attacks and atrocities committed against Turkish Cypriot people, who were ejected from the state apparatus of the partnership republic by force of arms in 1963. Our people resisted all attempts by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo and EOKA terrorists to annex the island to Greece. We have effectively been running our own State since 1963. Had it not been for the Cyprus Peace Operation by Türkiye in 1974, there would not have been any Turkish Cypriots left to save. Despite the arduous efforts of the Turkish Cypriot Side and Türkiye to find an equality-based settlement, the Greek Cypriot Side has rejected at least 15 settlement plans and ideas.”
President Tatar also referred to the “historical turning point” that took place in New York, when Republic of Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan invited the international community to formally recognise the TRNC, and to put an end to the persecution of Turkish Cypriot people and their isolation. “Motherland Türkiye is continuing its political and economic support to the Turkish Cypriot people,” the President said, adding “We place great importance in furthering our relations with Azerbaijan” and reiterated his warm welcome to the officials of both political parties from Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
Budaqov: “We welcome the achievements of TRNC”
Tahir Budaqov, Deputy Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and Chairman of MYK expressed that they are happy to be visiting the TRNC, thanked President Tatar for receiving them, and conveyed the “warmest greetings of President İlham Aliyev”.
Noting that the relations between Azerbaijan and the TRNC are based on historical roots, Mr. Budaqov stated that “we salute our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters who proclaimed their own State following a long struggle”.
Expressing that they hope to take steps that will further glorify the TRNC and develop the relationship between the TRNC and Azerbaijan, Mr. Budaqov emphasised that this visit constitutes the “first step of further cooperation” that will be developed between the two countries.
AK Party Deputy Chairman Numan Kurtulmuş expressed his “pleasure to be in the TRNC” on “such an important visit” and said he is also happy to see the continuing developments in the TRNC, on each of his visits to the country.
Mr. Kurtulmuş: “The beginning of a new era”
Mr. Kurtulmuş added: “ our wish is that as a victorious people, you continue your existence here until the end of the world. We are ‘One Nation, Three States.’ We will strengthen this brotherhood by mobilising all means. It will be beneficial to develop relations with political parties of other States as well.”
Stating that “today is the first step” to paving the way for more contacts between political partiers of other States with those in the TRNC, Mr. Kurtulmuş added: “The observer membership of the TRNC to the Organisation of Turkic States is a very important step. It is the beginning of a new era in terms of the recognition of the TRNC,” he said.
Source: PRESIDENCY OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS
