Opening address by President Tufan Erhürman marking the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on 15 November, broadcast on Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation
Opening address by President Tufan Erhürman marking the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on 15 November, broadcast on Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation
President Tufan Erhürman has made a national opening address celebrating the 42nd anniversary of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The address is as follows:
"Esteemed citizens,
On the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, I extend my heartfelt greetings to each and every one of you, with respect and affection.
The 15 November 1983 Declaration of Independence clearly reflects the will of the Turkish Cypriot people at the time of our State’s founding and continues to guide us today.
Paragraph 22 of that Declaration begins with an enduring message: “On this historic day, once again, we extend our hand of peace and friendship to the Greek Cypriot people.”
It continues with a principle that remains just as relevant today: “We believe that it is both possible and necessary for the two peoples, who are destined to live side by side on the same island, to resolve all issues between them through negotiations on an equal footing and to reach a peaceful, just, and lasting settlement.”
The Turkish Cypriot people have never turned their back on a negotiated settlement with the Greek Cypriot side—neither in 1983 nor at any point thereafter. On the contrary, we reaffirmed our commitment to peace by voting “yes” in the 2004 referenda, and later, together with the Republic of Türkiye, by adopting an exceptionally constructive approach at Crans-Montana in 2017. At every stage, we have shown the world our determination to achieve a just and lasting solution.
Regrettably, the Greek Cypriot leaderships of those periods did not demonstrate the same political will, and as a result, a settlement could not be achieved. The Turkish Cypriot side has never been the party to abandon the negotiating table -- and will not do so in the future.
However, remaining at the table is one thing, accepting confinement to an endless or fruitless negotiating process is another. The Turkish Cypriot people do not seek perpetual talks destined for failure, but a lasting settlement that will contribute to peace and stability on the island and in the wider region.
It is well known that a negotiating table for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue has not been in place for a considerable period. However, the absence of negotiations has not translated into stagnation on the ground. Quite the opposite: very serious and troubling developments have unfolded in the region—particularly in the south, where armament programmes and military cooperation initiatives have been undertaken. Throughout this period, the Turkish Cypriot people have been largely overlooked and their interests disregarded in developments that directly affect them.
The world must understand that the Turkish Cypriot people are one of the two equal founding partners of this island. We possess sovereign rights equal to those of the Greek Cypriot people, and we will not accept the violation, neglect, or denial of those rights.
In matters that dominate today’s global agenda—ranging from security and energy to maritime jurisdiction, hydrocarbons, and trade routes—no decisions can be made without the consent of the Turkish Cypriot people. These are shared domains on this island. We do not covet the rights or interests of the Greek Cypriot side. Yet it must be equally clear that we will never accept the violation of the rights and interests of our own people.
Dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation remain the only viable path to resolving this issue. But when it comes to resuming comprehensive settlement talks, one point needs to be emphasised: Repeating the same path cannot produce a different outcome. We must draw lessons from the past and adopt new methods. The Turkish Cypriot side will not accept a process where our political equality is subject to bargaining, where there is no time frame, where long-established convergences are disregarded, or where -- even after a lengthy process -- the rejectionist stance of the Greek Cypriot leadership at the last minute may once again return us to the status quo, as occurred during the Annan Plan referenda.
These are by no means “preconditions,” as some have suggested. Rather, they reflect the accumulated experience of a people who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to a solution, yet have been unable to achieve it—not due to their own actions, but despite them. Any genuine commitment to a settlement must take these realities into account.
I reiterate: the Turkish Cypriot side has never abandoned the negotiating table and will not do so in the future. Until the conditions mature for launching a results-oriented, comprehensive negotiation process, there are many other issues that require dialogue, and there exists a platform to address them.
Make no mistake. When a meaningful, results-oriented negotiating table aimed at a comprehensive settlement emerges, we will be there. If such a table cannot yet be established, we will continue to engage on the platform where cooperation, practical solutions, trust-building, and win-win approaches can contribute to an eventual settlement while easing the daily lives of both peoples.
Yet we must also recognise that our world is larger than the negotiating table alone. The Turkish Cypriot people, like all peoples, have the inherent right to engage with the international community. In this new period, as in the past, we will make full use of diplomatic opportunities facilitated by the Republic of Türkiye. As an observer member in the Organisation of Turkic States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Economic Cooperation Organisation, and as an equal counterpart to the Greek Cypriot leadership in the United Nations framework -- as well as in any platform we can reach -- we will continue to defend our people’s rights and interests with determination.
Nobody should expect us to accept as fair -- or as fate -- the condemnation of the Turkish Cypriot people to bear the cost of non-settlement, despite our consistent will for a solution. No one should expect us to accept that our youth are kept from international sporting events, that our scientists, artists, and businesspeople face restrictions, that obstacles are continually placed before our economic development, or that our children endure discrimination based on their or their parents' birthplace.
The Turkish Cypriot people are calm, patient, and resolute. We existed in the most difficult conditions. We exist today, and we will exist tomorrow. We will not be ignored or erased. Our engagement with the world cannot be prevented.
In this struggle, our greatest assurance is the unwavering support of Türkiye, which stands with us—as in the past—today and unconditionally in the future, within the unshakable bonds of our brotherhood.
On this meaningful occasion, I would like once again to express, in your presence, my heartfelt gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly, to Cevdet Yılmaz, Vice President of Türkiye, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, for their warm hospitality during my recent visit to Türkiye—my first visit after taking office, in accordance with our state traditions.
Meanwhile, our people face serious challenges at home, and we must work together tirelessly to overcome them swiftly. We must know our population and implement a sound population policy. Alongside this, we must develop an effective migration policy to prevent our country from facing risks to its social cohesion and security.
We must act without delay to address the infrastructural and systemic problems in healthcare. In education, issues such as prefabricated classrooms, the adaptation of children whose mother tongue is not Turkish, and a higher education sector lacking in quality-oriented standards require urgent and planned solutions. The level of brain drain has become intolerable. Programmes and incentives to reverse this trend must be implemented without delay.
The equality, brotherhood, and unity of our citizens are inviolable. Racism and discrimination will never find a place on this land. We reject discrimination based on race, religion, language, gender, birthplace, or any similar grounds. Every child in this country is our child, and a single tear shed due to any problem or discrimination in accessing health or education pierces the heart of our people.
The decline in purchasing power -- particularly among low-income groups -- the high cost of living, and the fact that the south has become cheaper in many areas are matters of deep concern. That our producers are on the brink of abandoning production is a matter of deep concern. In a country aiming to develop through tourism and higher-education investments, the environment is one of our greatest responsibilities. In these areas, we must work collectively and achieve meaningful, tangible progress in a short time.
Our people are bound to this beautiful island with love and devotion. No one born or living here wishes to leave. Our duty, as those entrusted with the governance of this country, is to transform this island into a place where our people can live happily, and in peace and safety in a modern setting with dignity. To this end, we bear the responsibility to work together, tirelessly, day and night, with our most valuable resource—our educated human capital -- with teams selected on the basis of qualification and merit.
This is our obligation both to our elders, who waged an extraordinary struggle for existence under difficult circumstances, and to our young people and children to whom we will entrust this island. The first condition of becoming a people -- not merely a community -- is to merge the “I” into the “we,” to become one. Diversity of thought is our richness. It is the essence of democratic life, which we have long embraced. Freedom of expression, and the way it is exercised, is a source of pride that we must protect. And above all, two profound loves unite us, shape us, and ensure we never diverge: our love for our children and our love for this land.
Our claim is clear: we have always existed on these lands. We exist today, and we will continue to exist in the future under far better conditions.
I respectfully and gratefully commemorate the leaders of our struggle for existence -- Dr. Fazıl Küçük and Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş, as well as our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for this land and for our children, and all those who served in our struggle who are no longer with us today. I extend my gratitude to our veterans and wish them long and healthy lives.
I wholeheartedly celebrate your Republic Day and embrace you all with respect and affection."
President Tufan Erhürman has made a national opening address celebrating the 42nd anniversary of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The address is as follows:
"Esteemed citizens,
On the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, I extend my heartfelt greetings to each and every one of you, with respect and affection.
The 15 November 1983 Declaration of Independence clearly reflects the will of the Turkish Cypriot people at the time of our State’s founding and continues to guide us today.
Paragraph 22 of that Declaration begins with an enduring message: “On this historic day, once again, we extend our hand of peace and friendship to the Greek Cypriot people.”
It continues with a principle that remains just as relevant today: “We believe that it is both possible and necessary for the two peoples, who are destined to live side by side on the same island, to resolve all issues between them through negotiations on an equal footing and to reach a peaceful, just, and lasting settlement.”
The Turkish Cypriot people have never turned their back on a negotiated settlement with the Greek Cypriot side—neither in 1983 nor at any point thereafter. On the contrary, we reaffirmed our commitment to peace by voting “yes” in the 2004 referenda, and later, together with the Republic of Türkiye, by adopting an exceptionally constructive approach at Crans-Montana in 2017. At every stage, we have shown the world our determination to achieve a just and lasting solution.
Regrettably, the Greek Cypriot leaderships of those periods did not demonstrate the same political will, and as a result, a settlement could not be achieved. The Turkish Cypriot side has never been the party to abandon the negotiating table -- and will not do so in the future.
However, remaining at the table is one thing, accepting confinement to an endless or fruitless negotiating process is another. The Turkish Cypriot people do not seek perpetual talks destined for failure, but a lasting settlement that will contribute to peace and stability on the island and in the wider region.
It is well known that a negotiating table for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue has not been in place for a considerable period. However, the absence of negotiations has not translated into stagnation on the ground. Quite the opposite: very serious and troubling developments have unfolded in the region—particularly in the south, where armament programmes and military cooperation initiatives have been undertaken. Throughout this period, the Turkish Cypriot people have been largely overlooked and their interests disregarded in developments that directly affect them.
The world must understand that the Turkish Cypriot people are one of the two equal founding partners of this island. We possess sovereign rights equal to those of the Greek Cypriot people, and we will not accept the violation, neglect, or denial of those rights.
In matters that dominate today’s global agenda—ranging from security and energy to maritime jurisdiction, hydrocarbons, and trade routes—no decisions can be made without the consent of the Turkish Cypriot people. These are shared domains on this island. We do not covet the rights or interests of the Greek Cypriot side. Yet it must be equally clear that we will never accept the violation of the rights and interests of our own people.
Dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation remain the only viable path to resolving this issue. But when it comes to resuming comprehensive settlement talks, one point needs to be emphasised: Repeating the same path cannot produce a different outcome. We must draw lessons from the past and adopt new methods. The Turkish Cypriot side will not accept a process where our political equality is subject to bargaining, where there is no time frame, where long-established convergences are disregarded, or where -- even after a lengthy process -- the rejectionist stance of the Greek Cypriot leadership at the last minute may once again return us to the status quo, as occurred during the Annan Plan referenda.
These are by no means “preconditions,” as some have suggested. Rather, they reflect the accumulated experience of a people who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to a solution, yet have been unable to achieve it—not due to their own actions, but despite them. Any genuine commitment to a settlement must take these realities into account.
I reiterate: the Turkish Cypriot side has never abandoned the negotiating table and will not do so in the future. Until the conditions mature for launching a results-oriented, comprehensive negotiation process, there are many other issues that require dialogue, and there exists a platform to address them.
Make no mistake. When a meaningful, results-oriented negotiating table aimed at a comprehensive settlement emerges, we will be there. If such a table cannot yet be established, we will continue to engage on the platform where cooperation, practical solutions, trust-building, and win-win approaches can contribute to an eventual settlement while easing the daily lives of both peoples.
Yet we must also recognise that our world is larger than the negotiating table alone. The Turkish Cypriot people, like all peoples, have the inherent right to engage with the international community. In this new period, as in the past, we will make full use of diplomatic opportunities facilitated by the Republic of Türkiye. As an observer member in the Organisation of Turkic States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Economic Cooperation Organisation, and as an equal counterpart to the Greek Cypriot leadership in the United Nations framework -- as well as in any platform we can reach -- we will continue to defend our people’s rights and interests with determination.
Nobody should expect us to accept as fair -- or as fate -- the condemnation of the Turkish Cypriot people to bear the cost of non-settlement, despite our consistent will for a solution. No one should expect us to accept that our youth are kept from international sporting events, that our scientists, artists, and businesspeople face restrictions, that obstacles are continually placed before our economic development, or that our children endure discrimination based on their or their parents' birthplace.
The Turkish Cypriot people are calm, patient, and resolute. We existed in the most difficult conditions. We exist today, and we will exist tomorrow. We will not be ignored or erased. Our engagement with the world cannot be prevented.
In this struggle, our greatest assurance is the unwavering support of Türkiye, which stands with us—as in the past—today and unconditionally in the future, within the unshakable bonds of our brotherhood.
On this meaningful occasion, I would like once again to express, in your presence, my heartfelt gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly, to Cevdet Yılmaz, Vice President of Türkiye, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, for their warm hospitality during my recent visit to Türkiye—my first visit after taking office, in accordance with our state traditions.
Meanwhile, our people face serious challenges at home, and we must work together tirelessly to overcome them swiftly. We must know our population and implement a sound population policy. Alongside this, we must develop an effective migration policy to prevent our country from facing risks to its social cohesion and security.
We must act without delay to address the infrastructural and systemic problems in healthcare. In education, issues such as prefabricated classrooms, the adaptation of children whose mother tongue is not Turkish, and a higher education sector lacking in quality-oriented standards require urgent and planned solutions. The level of brain drain has become intolerable. Programmes and incentives to reverse this trend must be implemented without delay.
The equality, brotherhood, and unity of our citizens are inviolable. Racism and discrimination will never find a place on this land. We reject discrimination based on race, religion, language, gender, birthplace, or any similar grounds. Every child in this country is our child, and a single tear shed due to any problem or discrimination in accessing health or education pierces the heart of our people.
The decline in purchasing power -- particularly among low-income groups -- the high cost of living, and the fact that the south has become cheaper in many areas are matters of deep concern. That our producers are on the brink of abandoning production is a matter of deep concern. In a country aiming to develop through tourism and higher-education investments, the environment is one of our greatest responsibilities. In these areas, we must work collectively and achieve meaningful, tangible progress in a short time.
Our people are bound to this beautiful island with love and devotion. No one born or living here wishes to leave. Our duty, as those entrusted with the governance of this country, is to transform this island into a place where our people can live happily, and in peace and safety in a modern setting with dignity. To this end, we bear the responsibility to work together, tirelessly, day and night, with our most valuable resource—our educated human capital -- with teams selected on the basis of qualification and merit.
This is our obligation both to our elders, who waged an extraordinary struggle for existence under difficult circumstances, and to our young people and children to whom we will entrust this island. The first condition of becoming a people -- not merely a community -- is to merge the “I” into the “we,” to become one. Diversity of thought is our richness. It is the essence of democratic life, which we have long embraced. Freedom of expression, and the way it is exercised, is a source of pride that we must protect. And above all, two profound loves unite us, shape us, and ensure we never diverge: our love for our children and our love for this land.
Our claim is clear: we have always existed on these lands. We exist today, and we will continue to exist in the future under far better conditions.
I respectfully and gratefully commemorate the leaders of our struggle for existence -- Dr. Fazıl Küçük and Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş, as well as our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for this land and for our children, and all those who served in our struggle who are no longer with us today. I extend my gratitude to our veterans and wish them long and healthy lives.
I wholeheartedly celebrate your Republic Day and embrace you all with respect and affection."