President Ersin Tatar paricipates in “Natural Resources Efficiency and Alternative Energy Solutions Workshop”
“We are ready to share natural resources on the basis of a cooperative relationship between two equal and sovereign States
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President Ersin Tatar participated in the Workshop on Natural Resources Efficiency and Alternative Energy Solutions Workshop which focused on how to benefit from innovative energy technologies and the exploitation of natural resources.
Hosted by the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA), the two-day long workshop, which brings together experts, academics and politicians, was held at the Grand Pasha hotel in Lefkoşa. The event commenced with a minutes silence that was observed for martyrs and for those who died in the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye last month, which was followed by the playing of the National Anthem. A promotional film of TÜBA was screened, which was followed by the reading of a written message from Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye, Fuat Oktay.
Addressing the workshop, President Tatar reiterated that the TRNC is “ready to share with South Cyprus both the fresh water being pumped to our country from Türkiye via the 80km long undersea pipeline as well as the natural resources surrounding the island of Cyprus, through the cooperation of two equal sovereign States”.
President Tatar added that the “mentality prevailing in the Greek Cypriot Administration, however, is against cooperation, because they see themselves as the sole state as the ‘Republic of Cyprus’. The Greek Cypriot side wants to abolish the TRNC and patch the Turkish Cypriots to the usurped republic they have turned solely into a Greek Cypriot state,” he said.
Stating that new formal negotiations can be commenced following the reaffirmation of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot People, President Tatar added: “Our new policy is based on the acceptance of the TRNC as a sovereign equal State. Motherland Türkiye fully supports this policy.”
Thanking the organisers for hosting the meeting, the President stated that it is important to discuss solutions to problems that benefits the country through rationale way of thinking – which he said is something he frequently conveys at international meetings.
President Tatar stated that “we have stated that we will not sit at the negotiating table until there is acceptance of our equal status in the island of Cyprus. This is a policy fully supported by Motherland Türkiye. However, we are not against working together and cooperating with South Cyprus on joint projects which is a separate issue to the political process, because it is of benefit to both Sides in Cyprus”. The President reiterated that the TRNC is prepared to make use of the “Project of the Century” – sharing water pumped to the country from Türkiye, with the Greek Cypriot Side.
“Greek Cypriot Side desires to patch Turkish Cypriots to their usurped state”
President Tatar added that the Greek Cypriots were continuing to reject cooperation between the the two Sides, even on the issue of cooperating on sharing fresh water pumped to the island from Türkiye. “We have also stated, as part of our cooperation proposals, sharing the natural resources surrounding the island of Cyprus. However, the Greek Cypriot Side has adopted the well known view that they are the ‘Republc of Cyprus’ and only state, and they have the objective of demolishing the TRNC and patching the Turkish Cypriots to this usurped republic,” he said.
Following the speeches, Chairman of TÜBA, Mr. Şeker, presented a book to President Ersin Tatar and Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa, Metin Feyzioğlu.