President Ersin Tatar meets with Osman Aşkın Bak, Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, and his delegation
Ali Murat Başçeri, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Lefkoşa, and Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu, were also present at the meeting that was held at the Presidency at 2pm.
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"It is our duty and responsibility to present our youth the opportunities they are entitled to"
President Ersin Tatar said he is happy that the Minister is visiting the country, and added that the “support of Motherland Türkiye to the TRNC in the field of sport and its youth is very important”.
Stating that there are issues encountered in sports in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the President underlined that despite the inhumane isolation, there are world renowned athletes of Turkish Cypriot origin who have succeeded in their respective sports branches, such as Buse Savaşkan – who was part of the national team of the Republic of Türkiye at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
“In the face of the unjust isolation – which is against our basic human rights -- the support of Türkiye is crucial," President Tatar said, adding that it is “very important that the necessary opportunities and infrastructure are provided for our youth so that they can undertake the training needed, to allow them to compete with other worldwide athletes”.
“Swimming is particularly important in our country,” the President said, adding: “There is a need for a swimming pool in Lefkoşa, which I have asked for from Minister Bak.”
President Ersin Tatar emphasised that it is “our responsibility to present children and young people the necessary opportunities they are entitled to in order to increase their chances of success, and to provide them the facilities that will enable them to train with the correct equipment. . . in this respect, the support of Republic of Türkiye is extremely important as it is in every field."
Stressing that “opportunities could exist for TRNC football in other leagues such as the Asian League,” President Tatar said: “It is our duty and responsibility to give our youth the opportunities they deserve, which we do with your support."
Osman Aşkın Bak, Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, conveyed the warm greetings to the President from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye.
Stating that he will visit dormitories and participate in fast-breaking event (iftar) with students during his visit to the Island, Minister Bak said that “university students are of great importance for the country, and we will be undertaking work to increase the accommodation capacity for students who have chosen to study at TRNC-based higher education institutions from the Republic of Türkiye.
Explaining that they are putting forward efforts for the TRNC to take part in the international platforms in the field of sports, Minister Bak said that the requests from the President Tatar have been noted and they will continue to build sports facilities in the TRNC.
Minister Bak talked about the importance of sports for young people and stated that “successful athletes from TRNC are participating in worldwide tournaments by wearing the Turkish jersey, which we are very proud of”. He said: “For us, the success and strength of the TRNC is invaluable. We defend them on every platform.”
The Minister added that Cevdet Yılmaz, Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye, will pay a visit to the TRNC on April 10.
Stating that they will “address the request for a pool,” Minister Bak said that works are in progress for the TRNC to take part in international tournaments.
Reminding that TEKNOFEST will also be held in the TRNC this year, Minister Bak stated that this will be a very beneficial event for the country.