Book launch of President Ersin Tatar's approved biography “A Cry for Justice” authored by expat Jennifer Vardy
“This biography not only provides insight of key moments of my life, but also encapsulates the cry for justice of the Turkish Cypriot People.”
Photos
President Ersin Tatar has thanked expat Jennifer Vardy for “excellently penning” his authorised biography in an English language book titled ‘A Cry for Justice’, which was introduced at a book launch held at the gardens of the Presidency in Lefkoşa.
The event was also attended by Mrs Vardy, former chief justice Taner Erginel and advocate Erdem Erginel as well as civil organisations, members of the expat community and members of the media.
Addressing the event, President Tatar thanked Mrs Vardy “for writing such an elegant biography which has not only detailed key moments in my life, but also put forward perseverance for justice and freedom of the Turkish Cypriot people”.
President Tatar thanked former chief justice Taner Erginel “for inspiring Ms Vardy” to writing the book and advocate Erdem Erginel “for his great support and assistance” over the years and for helping Ms Vardy in the project.
Stating that the book deals not only with his own life and career, but also the recent history of the Turkish Cypriot people, their struggle for equal status on the island of Cyprus, and his "cry for justice", President Tatar added: “The UK is a guarantor country under the 1960 treaty and has a strong connection to the island of Cyprus. There are some 15,000 expats living in the TRNC, and hundreds of thousands of Turkish Cypriots living in the UK.”
President Tatar referred to his visit to London last month, and said “Meetings were held with Parliamentarians, members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, prominent members of the UK media, and members of the civil organisations. In all of our meetings, we have called upon the UK to re-evaluate and to take a fresh approach with regards to their unequal treatment of the Turkish Cypriot People.”
Emphasising that the Greek Cypriots have always aspired to unite the island of Cyprus with Greece (ENOSIS) as part of the Magali Idea doctrine, the President pointed out that there had also been attacks against hundreds of British servicemen during the Cyprus Emergency in the 1950s until the independence of the island in 1960 which respected the sovereign equal rights of both the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People. “However, this partnership republic was destroyed by the Enosis seeking Greek Cypriot Side in 1963 when island-wide attacks against Turkish Cypriots were initiated and Turkish Cypriots were expelled from the state apparatus by force of arms.”
President Tatar stated that despite this situation, the UN Security Council had passed Resolution 186 that was adopted in 1964, which unjustly treated the Makarios government as the “sole government of Cyprus”. Adding that on July 15, 1974, a coup d’état was staged and the ‘Hellenic Republic of Cyprus’ was declared, President Tatar said Great Britain had refused the offer of Motherland Türkiye for a joint intervention under the Treaty of Guarantee.
“As a result, Motherland and Guarantor Türkiye undertook the Peace Operation which brought real peace and stopped the bloodshed in Cyprus,” he said.
President Tatar explained that the Turkish Cypriot People, who have inherent sovereign equal rights in Cyprus, have been effectively governing themselves as a state since 1963, whilst they continue to be subject to “inhuman isolation to this very day”.
“As someone who was born in 1960 who has lived in the heart of Lefkoşa, my life very much centred around the struggle of the Turkish Cypriots for justice, which continued when I was living in London at different stages– from when I was studying at Forest School in east London, to studying at Jesus College, University of Cambridge, to my professional working life as an accountant at Price Water House. . .to my senior position at one of Türkiye’s top television channels, my position in the National Unity Party, election as an MP, serving as Minister of Finance, Prime Minister and currently as the TRNC President. My cry for justice continues and I will never give up," President Tatar remarked.
President Tatar said: “Wherever I have lived and served, my whole life has been related to and about seeking justice and fairness for the Turkish Cypriot People in the face of great injustice. I think this is why Jenny has named the book, A Cry for Justice.”
President Tatar added that the Cyprus issue has always been about “the co-existence of the Turkish Cypriot People as equals. And I have today put forward my life-long vision for two States in Cyprus that is based on the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot People, which I believe is the way forward to reaching a realistic and sustainable settlement”.
President Tatar added that his vision was based on a “win-win” approach, and he said it is not possible to “turn the clock back by 60 years”.
President Tatar thanked everybody for attending the book launch event.
Author Jennifer Vardy, on the other hand, stated that it was a “great honour” for her to pen the authorised biography for President Tatar, which she said also encapsulates the history, culture and geography of his country, which shaped all his principles and thoughts.
Thanking President Tatar for supporting her at different stages whilst writing the book, Mrs Vardy also thanked Erdem Erginel for his assistance in the book writing process.
Mrs Vardy said: "If this book helps even one inch in the realisation of the President's goal of international recognition and sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot people. . .I believe I will have served this country where I have settled and enjoyed the privileges it offers.”
Also speaking at the event, former chief justice, Taner Erginel stated that a “historical turning point in the history of the island of Cyprus” had been realised following the election of President Ersin Tatar. Stating that there are “two equal peoples in Cyprus – the Turkish Cypriot People and the Greek Cypriot People,” Mr Erginel stated that “sustainable peace and stability can be reached in Cyprus through the mutual respect, equality and the cooperative relationship of these two Peoples”.
Stating that all previous efforts for a settlement were not successful due to the "greediness and ultra-nationalistic" policies of the Greek Cypriot Side, Mr Erginel said he believed “President Ersin Tatar’s sincere efforts for a settlement that is based on the existence of two States and his cry for justice for his People, which has been penned in this authorised biography.” Mr Erginel thanked Mrs Vardy for her excellently written biography.”
The event was also attended by Mrs Vardy, former chief justice Taner Erginel and advocate Erdem Erginel as well as civil organisations, members of the expat community and members of the media.
Addressing the event, President Tatar thanked Mrs Vardy “for writing such an elegant biography which has not only detailed key moments in my life, but also put forward perseverance for justice and freedom of the Turkish Cypriot people”.
President Tatar thanked former chief justice Taner Erginel “for inspiring Ms Vardy” to writing the book and advocate Erdem Erginel “for his great support and assistance” over the years and for helping Ms Vardy in the project.
Stating that the book deals not only with his own life and career, but also the recent history of the Turkish Cypriot people, their struggle for equal status on the island of Cyprus, and his "cry for justice", President Tatar added: “The UK is a guarantor country under the 1960 treaty and has a strong connection to the island of Cyprus. There are some 15,000 expats living in the TRNC, and hundreds of thousands of Turkish Cypriots living in the UK.”
President Tatar referred to his visit to London last month, and said “Meetings were held with Parliamentarians, members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, prominent members of the UK media, and members of the civil organisations. In all of our meetings, we have called upon the UK to re-evaluate and to take a fresh approach with regards to their unequal treatment of the Turkish Cypriot People.”
Emphasising that the Greek Cypriots have always aspired to unite the island of Cyprus with Greece (ENOSIS) as part of the Magali Idea doctrine, the President pointed out that there had also been attacks against hundreds of British servicemen during the Cyprus Emergency in the 1950s until the independence of the island in 1960 which respected the sovereign equal rights of both the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People. “However, this partnership republic was destroyed by the Enosis seeking Greek Cypriot Side in 1963 when island-wide attacks against Turkish Cypriots were initiated and Turkish Cypriots were expelled from the state apparatus by force of arms.”
President Tatar stated that despite this situation, the UN Security Council had passed Resolution 186 that was adopted in 1964, which unjustly treated the Makarios government as the “sole government of Cyprus”. Adding that on July 15, 1974, a coup d’état was staged and the ‘Hellenic Republic of Cyprus’ was declared, President Tatar said Great Britain had refused the offer of Motherland Türkiye for a joint intervention under the Treaty of Guarantee.
“As a result, Motherland and Guarantor Türkiye undertook the Peace Operation which brought real peace and stopped the bloodshed in Cyprus,” he said.
President Tatar explained that the Turkish Cypriot People, who have inherent sovereign equal rights in Cyprus, have been effectively governing themselves as a state since 1963, whilst they continue to be subject to “inhuman isolation to this very day”.
“As someone who was born in 1960 who has lived in the heart of Lefkoşa, my life very much centred around the struggle of the Turkish Cypriots for justice, which continued when I was living in London at different stages– from when I was studying at Forest School in east London, to studying at Jesus College, University of Cambridge, to my professional working life as an accountant at Price Water House. . .to my senior position at one of Türkiye’s top television channels, my position in the National Unity Party, election as an MP, serving as Minister of Finance, Prime Minister and currently as the TRNC President. My cry for justice continues and I will never give up," President Tatar remarked.
President Tatar said: “Wherever I have lived and served, my whole life has been related to and about seeking justice and fairness for the Turkish Cypriot People in the face of great injustice. I think this is why Jenny has named the book, A Cry for Justice.”
President Tatar added that the Cyprus issue has always been about “the co-existence of the Turkish Cypriot People as equals. And I have today put forward my life-long vision for two States in Cyprus that is based on the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot People, which I believe is the way forward to reaching a realistic and sustainable settlement”.
President Tatar added that his vision was based on a “win-win” approach, and he said it is not possible to “turn the clock back by 60 years”.
President Tatar thanked everybody for attending the book launch event.
Author Jennifer Vardy, on the other hand, stated that it was a “great honour” for her to pen the authorised biography for President Tatar, which she said also encapsulates the history, culture and geography of his country, which shaped all his principles and thoughts.
Thanking President Tatar for supporting her at different stages whilst writing the book, Mrs Vardy also thanked Erdem Erginel for his assistance in the book writing process.
Mrs Vardy said: "If this book helps even one inch in the realisation of the President's goal of international recognition and sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot people. . .I believe I will have served this country where I have settled and enjoyed the privileges it offers.”
Also speaking at the event, former chief justice, Taner Erginel stated that a “historical turning point in the history of the island of Cyprus” had been realised following the election of President Ersin Tatar. Stating that there are “two equal peoples in Cyprus – the Turkish Cypriot People and the Greek Cypriot People,” Mr Erginel stated that “sustainable peace and stability can be reached in Cyprus through the mutual respect, equality and the cooperative relationship of these two Peoples”.
Stating that all previous efforts for a settlement were not successful due to the "greediness and ultra-nationalistic" policies of the Greek Cypriot Side, Mr Erginel said he believed “President Ersin Tatar’s sincere efforts for a settlement that is based on the existence of two States and his cry for justice for his People, which has been penned in this authorised biography.” Mr Erginel thanked Mrs Vardy for her excellently written biography.”