President Tatar and First Lady Sibel Tatar participate in the Turkish Cypriot Culture Festival held in London
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President Ersin Tatar and First Lady Sibel Tatar have participated in the 7th Turkish Cypriot Cultural Festival organised by the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations (CTCA) UK in London.
Addressing the festival following the inauguration ceremony, President Tatar extended to the participants the warm-hearted greetings of the People of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and expressed his gratitude to CTCA and its festival committee for organising the 7th Turkish Cypriot Cultural Festival.
Stating that the annually held cultural festival was first held seven years ago to commemorate the centenary anniversary of the arrival of first Turkish Cypriots in the UK, President Tatar said: “I am very happy to be attending this year’s festival, and to meet with so many Turkish Cypriots and speak with them. I place great importance to the Turkish Cypriots living abroad, who have become very successful across all walks of life, whilst contributing to the socio-economic fabric of the country, whilst preserving their cultural heritage, traditions and love for their Homeland, the TRNC.”
Explaining that the annual festival is “instrumental in promoting the solidarity and unity of the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot community in the UK,” President Tatar added: “It is paramount for our children and future generations to learn about their roots, identity and culture, and festivals of this kind contribute to this sense of belonging.”
“Last month, I attended a cultural festival and other events in multicultural Australia, not as a tourist, but as a president. Your brothers and sisters there also celebrated our culture and traditions. Wherever you live, you are all the voice of your Homeland, the TRNC, and loyal to our national cause and struggle for justice. Our hearts beat as one wherever we live in the world.”
President Tatar thanked Iain Duncan Smith, who spoke before him, for supporting direct flights to the TRNC from the UK.
In reference to the Cyprus issue, President Tatar said: “Ever since I was elected in 2020, I have communicated to many international actors my new vision for a two State settlement in Cyprus, where the two Sides co-exist side-by-side as neighbours in a cooperative relationship.Federal based negotiations that have been held for more than half-a-century have failed. It is time for the international community to think outside the federal box. It is time to reaffirm our inherent rights, namely our sovereign equality and equal international status.”
President Tatar stated that the “inhuman isolation on Turkish Cypriot People continues to prevent direct flights and direct trade,” and said “even our clubs cannot play in many prominent international tournaments. These restrictions are unethical and unjust. The promises made by the international community during the Annan Plan period in 2004 was that these restrictions would be ended. These promises have still not come to fruition.”
President Tatar also wished Nesil Çaliskan, a Turkish Cypriot origin candidate standing in the upcoming general election in the UK, success.
Stating that the Turkish Cypriot people have developed successfully in every field wherever they live and pointing out the importance of the support of Türkiye, President Tatar said: “I cannot stress enough the importance of our unity and solidarity, which is what I see here today, at this wonderful festival, whilst being integrated into the society in Britain.”
Stating that they are “striving to explain the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot People to the international community,” President Tatar said “it is time to open a new page in Cyprus, and for the UK, a guarantor power, to review its policy on Cyprus and put right the lack of equal treatment of the Turkish Cypriot People”.
President Tatar stated that the Turkish Cypriot People were “co-founders of the partnership Republic of Cyprus together with the Greek Cypriots, who destroyed the republic due to their aspiration to unite Cyprus with Greece”. Emphasising that “Turkish Cypriot side arduously worked for a settlement in Cyprus for more than half-a-century,” President Tatar said: “Despite the efforts by the Turkish Cypriot Side to reach an equality-based settlement, the Greek Cypriot side, who have been unjustly recognised as the sole government of the Island, have been left with no incentive or overarching interest, to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriots. This is why we are saying that the time has come for the international community to support a realistic and sustainable settlement that conforms to the facts on the ground in Cyprus.”
The President also touched on the issue of education of Turkish Cypriot children in the UK and their attendance at Turkish language and cultural schools. “On this special day, I would like to take this opportunity to also call upon parents to enrol their children at Turkish schools,” President Tatar said. “This will give them an opportunity to improve their fluency in the Turkish language and to learn about our history, culture, folk and traditions.”
“I take great pride in congratulating the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations (UK) and the Festival Committee for organising this fantastic cultural festival,” President Tatar said and added:
“With these thoughts, I wish all Turkish Cypriots living in the UK happy, healthy and prosperous lives”.