President Ersin Tatar gives conference at Çukurova University
“Turkish Cypriot people have proclaimed their own State and taken a step for recognition. We will not take a step back from this objective”
Photos
President Ersin Tatar addressed a conference at the Çukurova University titled “The Importance of the TRNC in the Light of Recent Developments,” where he also received an honorary doctorate.
In his speech at the conference, President Tatar stated: “The existence of the TRNC is an important geostrategic gain for Türkiye and the Turkish world. We will progress to the future all together as Motherland Türkiye, the TRNC and the Blue Homeland."
Stating that he is happy to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the Çukurova University senate, President Tatar said that they are making “evert effort to ensure the peace, security and prosperity of the Turkish Cypriot people and to protect the rights of the Republic of Türkiye in the eastern Mediterranean”.
Referring to his visit to the Ottoman Archives yesterday, President Tatar stated that he wanted to see the original document of the agreement of 1878, when the Island of Cyprus was leased by the Ottoman Empire to Britain, and to read the original English text of this agreement.
President Tatar stated that despite this contract, Britain unilaterally annexed the island. "Britain put a great deal of pressure on us Turkish Cypriots. There was an attempt to abolish our identity, to turn us into a Muslim minority on the Island and to distance us from Turkish patriotism and to isolate us..."
Noting that during British colonial rule, the Greek population on the Island of Cyprus was bolstered whilst the Turks emigrated to Türkiye and other parts of the world, President Tatar added: “Despite the fact that the Island of Cyprus was under Ottoman rule for 350 years, the population of Greeks was significantly increased during this period, and an impression was created that Cyprus is a Greek Island and should be united with Greece”.
Stating that Britain, which withdrew from Cyprus in 1960, obtained two sovereign bases, one in Limassol and the other in Larnaca, President Tatar pointed out that the Greek Cypriot authorities in Southern Cyprus cannot intervene in the SBA’s.
"Sovereignty is therefore very important,” President Tatar continued. “They are trying to question the sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot people, who have been in Cyprus since 1571. Which one is the sovereign state? The Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People were co-founders of the partnership Republic of Cyprus in 1960 on the basis of equality. However, the Greek Cypriots expelled us from the state apparatus of the republic in December 1963 by force of arms, and attacked our people across the island from 1963 to 1974. The Turkish Cypriot, who have been governing themselves effectively as a State since 1963, were forced to abandon 103 villages across the Island our people were squeezed into enclaves and deprived of basic human needs, in front of the eyes of the UN. They did everything possible to force us to emigrate, however, we believed in our national cause and we resisted and struggled for peaceful co-existence. We never accepted the aspiration of uniting Cyprus with Greece (ENOSIS), and we defended ourselves in the face of these attacks through the formation of the Turkish Resistance Organisation and with the support of Motherland Türkiye.”
President Tatar explained that on July 15, 1974, a coup d’etat had been staged by the Greek Junta and the ‘Hellenic Republic of Cyprus’ was declared. He said Archbishop Makarios had addressed the UN Security Council where he stated that “Greece has invaded Cyprus”.
“Türkiye was one of the guarantor powers and obliged to save the Turkish Cypriot People,” President Tatar said. “And on the 20th July 1974, Türkiye undertook the Cyprus Peace Operation to stop the bloodshed. President Tatar stated that the international community wrongfully continue to recognise the Greek Cypriot Administration as though they are the partnership republic that had been established together with the Turkish Cypriots in 1960. “This situation is the root of the Cyprus issue,” President Tatar said. “The Turkish Cypriots, exercising their right of self-determination, have been governing themselves, and proclaimed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983,” he added.
“Today, the Turkish Cypriots live under the roof of their own State as a free people, and peace came to the island as a result of the existence of the Turkish army,” President Tatar said. “We never abandoned our beloved Cyprus and we will continue to struggle against the injustices and inhumane isolation and restrictions.”
President Tatar said that the existence of the TRNC is also important in defending the Blue Homeland.
Stating that there were many negotiation processes held on a federal basis, President Tatar stated: “Negotiations on a federal basis has been held for 60 years. The last of these were the UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan of 2004, which was put to a separately held simultaneous referenda on both sides of Cyprus. The Greek Cypriot People rejected the plan by 76 per cent, whilst Turkish Cypriot People accepted it by 65 per cent. The former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the rationale for keeping the Turkish Cypriots isolated no longer existed. Many other international actors said there would be direct trade and direct flights. Despite these promises not being honoured, the Turkish Cypriot Side out of our good will again participate in a new federal based negotiation process, which collapsed in Crans-Montana in July 2017.”
President Tatar stated that “we have headed down the same dead end road, and federal based negotiations have been tried, failed and exhausted.”
Explaining that he had won on the ticket of a two State vision for Cyprus, President Tatar said: “We have put forward a new vision and position for a settlement in Cyprus that is based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot People. The co-existence of two neighbourly States that are in a cooperative relationship is both a realistic and sustainable basis for a settlement in Cyprus.”
The President added that the EU allowed the Greek Cypriot Side to become a member state despite its rejection of the Annan Plan in 2004, whilst keeping the Turkish Cypriots in isolation and not allowing for direct trade and direct flights.
"The Turkish Cypriot people are a separate people with their language, religion, customs, traditions and struggle," President Tatar said. “The Turkish Cypriot people have established their own state and taken a step for recognition. There is no turning back now. All the requirements that exist in any state are present in TRNC. There is no reason why the TRNC should not be recognised and our expectation is that the TRNC will continue to exist, grow and develop. If an agreement can be reached in Cyprus, the TRNC will be a part of it. If there is to be an agreement, it will be with the cooperation of the two States and the continuation of the guarantee of Türkiye, which we see as pivotal for our safety and security.”
President Tatar concluded that if any new and formal negotiations is going to be held, it will be on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status.
In his speech at the conference, President Tatar stated: “The existence of the TRNC is an important geostrategic gain for Türkiye and the Turkish world. We will progress to the future all together as Motherland Türkiye, the TRNC and the Blue Homeland."
Stating that he is happy to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the Çukurova University senate, President Tatar said that they are making “evert effort to ensure the peace, security and prosperity of the Turkish Cypriot people and to protect the rights of the Republic of Türkiye in the eastern Mediterranean”.
Referring to his visit to the Ottoman Archives yesterday, President Tatar stated that he wanted to see the original document of the agreement of 1878, when the Island of Cyprus was leased by the Ottoman Empire to Britain, and to read the original English text of this agreement.
President Tatar stated that despite this contract, Britain unilaterally annexed the island. "Britain put a great deal of pressure on us Turkish Cypriots. There was an attempt to abolish our identity, to turn us into a Muslim minority on the Island and to distance us from Turkish patriotism and to isolate us..."
Noting that during British colonial rule, the Greek population on the Island of Cyprus was bolstered whilst the Turks emigrated to Türkiye and other parts of the world, President Tatar added: “Despite the fact that the Island of Cyprus was under Ottoman rule for 350 years, the population of Greeks was significantly increased during this period, and an impression was created that Cyprus is a Greek Island and should be united with Greece”.
Stating that Britain, which withdrew from Cyprus in 1960, obtained two sovereign bases, one in Limassol and the other in Larnaca, President Tatar pointed out that the Greek Cypriot authorities in Southern Cyprus cannot intervene in the SBA’s.
"Sovereignty is therefore very important,” President Tatar continued. “They are trying to question the sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot people, who have been in Cyprus since 1571. Which one is the sovereign state? The Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People were co-founders of the partnership Republic of Cyprus in 1960 on the basis of equality. However, the Greek Cypriots expelled us from the state apparatus of the republic in December 1963 by force of arms, and attacked our people across the island from 1963 to 1974. The Turkish Cypriot, who have been governing themselves effectively as a State since 1963, were forced to abandon 103 villages across the Island our people were squeezed into enclaves and deprived of basic human needs, in front of the eyes of the UN. They did everything possible to force us to emigrate, however, we believed in our national cause and we resisted and struggled for peaceful co-existence. We never accepted the aspiration of uniting Cyprus with Greece (ENOSIS), and we defended ourselves in the face of these attacks through the formation of the Turkish Resistance Organisation and with the support of Motherland Türkiye.”
President Tatar explained that on July 15, 1974, a coup d’etat had been staged by the Greek Junta and the ‘Hellenic Republic of Cyprus’ was declared. He said Archbishop Makarios had addressed the UN Security Council where he stated that “Greece has invaded Cyprus”.
“Türkiye was one of the guarantor powers and obliged to save the Turkish Cypriot People,” President Tatar said. “And on the 20th July 1974, Türkiye undertook the Cyprus Peace Operation to stop the bloodshed. President Tatar stated that the international community wrongfully continue to recognise the Greek Cypriot Administration as though they are the partnership republic that had been established together with the Turkish Cypriots in 1960. “This situation is the root of the Cyprus issue,” President Tatar said. “The Turkish Cypriots, exercising their right of self-determination, have been governing themselves, and proclaimed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983,” he added.
“Today, the Turkish Cypriots live under the roof of their own State as a free people, and peace came to the island as a result of the existence of the Turkish army,” President Tatar said. “We never abandoned our beloved Cyprus and we will continue to struggle against the injustices and inhumane isolation and restrictions.”
President Tatar said that the existence of the TRNC is also important in defending the Blue Homeland.
Stating that there were many negotiation processes held on a federal basis, President Tatar stated: “Negotiations on a federal basis has been held for 60 years. The last of these were the UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan of 2004, which was put to a separately held simultaneous referenda on both sides of Cyprus. The Greek Cypriot People rejected the plan by 76 per cent, whilst Turkish Cypriot People accepted it by 65 per cent. The former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the rationale for keeping the Turkish Cypriots isolated no longer existed. Many other international actors said there would be direct trade and direct flights. Despite these promises not being honoured, the Turkish Cypriot Side out of our good will again participate in a new federal based negotiation process, which collapsed in Crans-Montana in July 2017.”
President Tatar stated that “we have headed down the same dead end road, and federal based negotiations have been tried, failed and exhausted.”
Explaining that he had won on the ticket of a two State vision for Cyprus, President Tatar said: “We have put forward a new vision and position for a settlement in Cyprus that is based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot People. The co-existence of two neighbourly States that are in a cooperative relationship is both a realistic and sustainable basis for a settlement in Cyprus.”
The President added that the EU allowed the Greek Cypriot Side to become a member state despite its rejection of the Annan Plan in 2004, whilst keeping the Turkish Cypriots in isolation and not allowing for direct trade and direct flights.
"The Turkish Cypriot people are a separate people with their language, religion, customs, traditions and struggle," President Tatar said. “The Turkish Cypriot people have established their own state and taken a step for recognition. There is no turning back now. All the requirements that exist in any state are present in TRNC. There is no reason why the TRNC should not be recognised and our expectation is that the TRNC will continue to exist, grow and develop. If an agreement can be reached in Cyprus, the TRNC will be a part of it. If there is to be an agreement, it will be with the cooperation of the two States and the continuation of the guarantee of Türkiye, which we see as pivotal for our safety and security.”
President Tatar concluded that if any new and formal negotiations is going to be held, it will be on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status.