President Ersin Tatar receives Fenerbahçe Sports Club President Ali Koç and members of the club's board of directors
“We also have children in the TRNC who are very talented in every sport and have trained to participate in international competitions”
President Ersin Tatar received Fenerbahçe Sports Club President Ali Koç and the club's board of directors, where he commended the significant contribution of the club to Turkish football, whilst highlighting the continuing inhuman isolation on Turkish Cypriot athletes.
Expressing that the football matches played in the Republic of Türkiye have for many years been and continue to be watched with passion in the TRNC, the President said: “Turkish Cypriots are people who love sports, and in particular football. We have well-trained football players and football clubs in our country. All Turkish Cypriots are fans of a club in Motherland Türkiye.”
“I would like to thank you for defending the rights of Turkish Cypriot people”
President Tatar continued: “Although I am a supporter of Beşiktaş, I must express that Fenerbahçe Sports Club has a special place for me. The youth of our country are being subjected to inhuman embargoes that also prevent them from participating in international sports tournaments under their own identity. Political obstacles are preventing our own clubs from playing an official match with teams abroad. This is due to the isolation being imposed by our Greek Cypriot neighbours, who have created a perception that they are the sole authority of the island, after hijacking the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ through force of arms.”
“Visit of Fenerbahçe Sports Club is a message in itself to the whole world”
“Even our right to participate in international sports tournaments meets with obstacles. The visit of the president and board of directors of a great football club such as Fenerbahçe Sports Club, today, is a message in itself to the whole world,” the President added. “I would like to thank you for your closeness and warmth towards us, for defending the rights of Turkish Cypriot people and highlighting the injustices and the right of our youth to participate in international sports tournaments.”
The President stated: “It is an important development for us that the Fenerbahçe community is in our country on the anniversary of the establishment of the [Fenerbahçe] association in the TRNC” emphasising that Turkish Cypriot athletes have been participating in international organisations in the teams of other countries including the Republic of Türkiye.
“We have very successful athletes, but they cannot compete under the banner of TRNC” President Tatar said. “They can only compete by taking part in Turkish national teams, including in Fenerbahçe Sports Club, in football and other sports branches outside football, such as in basketball, swimming and volleyball.”
The President expressed his desire to see “our very talented sports people given the opportunity to participate in international sports competitions. . .I will be happy to see these young people in various branches of Fenerbahçe Sports Club, if there are opportunities”.
President Tatar wished success to the president and the board of directors, saying: "Fenerbahçe is a very valuable sports club of Motherland Türkiye, that includes very successful athletes and has millions of fans."
Fenerbahçe Sports Club President Ali Koç stated that there are two Fenerbahçe Sports Club Associations in the TRNC and that today is the second anniversary of the newest association, and that they are in our country to attend the ball to be held for this reason. The Club President thanked President Tatar for his kind words.
Presidential Undersecretary Okan Donangil, Presidential Advisor on Sports Affairs Sertaç Bozatlı and Special Advisor on International Relations and Diplomacy Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Işıksal were also present in the meeting.
Expressing that the football matches played in the Republic of Türkiye have for many years been and continue to be watched with passion in the TRNC, the President said: “Turkish Cypriots are people who love sports, and in particular football. We have well-trained football players and football clubs in our country. All Turkish Cypriots are fans of a club in Motherland Türkiye.”
“I would like to thank you for defending the rights of Turkish Cypriot people”
President Tatar continued: “Although I am a supporter of Beşiktaş, I must express that Fenerbahçe Sports Club has a special place for me. The youth of our country are being subjected to inhuman embargoes that also prevent them from participating in international sports tournaments under their own identity. Political obstacles are preventing our own clubs from playing an official match with teams abroad. This is due to the isolation being imposed by our Greek Cypriot neighbours, who have created a perception that they are the sole authority of the island, after hijacking the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ through force of arms.”
“Visit of Fenerbahçe Sports Club is a message in itself to the whole world”
“Even our right to participate in international sports tournaments meets with obstacles. The visit of the president and board of directors of a great football club such as Fenerbahçe Sports Club, today, is a message in itself to the whole world,” the President added. “I would like to thank you for your closeness and warmth towards us, for defending the rights of Turkish Cypriot people and highlighting the injustices and the right of our youth to participate in international sports tournaments.”
The President stated: “It is an important development for us that the Fenerbahçe community is in our country on the anniversary of the establishment of the [Fenerbahçe] association in the TRNC” emphasising that Turkish Cypriot athletes have been participating in international organisations in the teams of other countries including the Republic of Türkiye.
“We have very successful athletes, but they cannot compete under the banner of TRNC” President Tatar said. “They can only compete by taking part in Turkish national teams, including in Fenerbahçe Sports Club, in football and other sports branches outside football, such as in basketball, swimming and volleyball.”
The President expressed his desire to see “our very talented sports people given the opportunity to participate in international sports competitions. . .I will be happy to see these young people in various branches of Fenerbahçe Sports Club, if there are opportunities”.
President Tatar wished success to the president and the board of directors, saying: "Fenerbahçe is a very valuable sports club of Motherland Türkiye, that includes very successful athletes and has millions of fans."
Fenerbahçe Sports Club President Ali Koç stated that there are two Fenerbahçe Sports Club Associations in the TRNC and that today is the second anniversary of the newest association, and that they are in our country to attend the ball to be held for this reason. The Club President thanked President Tatar for his kind words.
Presidential Undersecretary Okan Donangil, Presidential Advisor on Sports Affairs Sertaç Bozatlı and Special Advisor on International Relations and Diplomacy Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Işıksal were also present in the meeting.