President Tatar meeting with Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations (UK)
“Our wish is to act together in solidarity for our TRNC”
Photos
President Ersin Tatar met with representatives of 28 civil group organisations that are members of the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations (CTCA) UK.
The meeting, which was held in Southgate, north London, was also attended by the TRNC Representative to London Çimen Keskin and First Lady Sibel Tatar, and the Presidential delegation.
The meeting began with a minute’s silence for the martyrs and the playing of the National Anthem.
CTCA President Fahri Zihni, Founder and Honorary President of the Council Dr. Özkan Hıfzı and 28 other association officials briefed the President about their work and activities and conveyed their demands from the TRNC.
Making a speech at the meeting, President Ersin Tatar stated that the visit to London is a “nostalgic moment for me” and added that he always worked to serve the country and the Turkish Cypriot people.
President Tatar, who paid tribute to Faik Müftüzade who pioneered and contributed to the initiatives made in the UK for the opening of a representative office in London, also commemorated his [President Tatar’s] uncles Sermet and Hasan Tatar, who contributed to his acadenic successes at prominent institutions in the UK.
President Tatar said that there was a painful period in Cyprus and that the Turkish Cypriot people, who resisted inhuman attacks in the past and were now facing unjust isolation and restrictions, were continuing their struggle and the national cause with the support of the Republic of Türkiye.
Emphasising that there is an ongoing national struggle of the Turkish Cypriot People for freedom and justice, the President stated that “as the sons of a heroic people, we are indeed continuing this struggle."
Stating that the TRNC has reached a very important point today due to geopolitical and geostrategic factors, the President added: “The TRNC has taken its place as an important State in the region and in the Turkish world.” President Tatar drew attention to the importance of the support given by the Turkish Cypriot people to the TRNC in this context.
The President underlined the importance of Turkish Cypriots abroad and their support and contributions towards the development of the TRNC. He said that in this context, education is of great importance in solving the problems of the Turkish Cypriot community in London.
“Cooperation and interaction between people, who live in different countries and continents, has become much easier to undertake due to the strides made in technological development,” the President said. “Cooperation is much easier. Technology has brought the far, nearer. The Turkish Cypriot people in the UK are an inseparable part of the TRNC,” the President said.
Underlining the importance for the youth to take up effective positions and to become more involved in the CTCA, President Tatar stated: “Our wish is for us to act together in solidarity, because we share the same common vision for the TRNC.”
President Tatar added: “This is the reason why we have placed great importance in the development of our tourism and higher education sectors. No one should undermine our national struggle for fairness and justice. Turkish Cypriots are as sovereign as the Greek Cypriots on the island of Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot equality is an inherent right. Our State and flag are an interpretation of our sovereignty and freedom.”
The President added that there were many States that were supportive of the TRNC and the cause of the Turkish Cypriot People. He said the TRNC will soon take its place along with Türkiye in the Turkic world.
President Tatar stated that he places great importance on the UK-based Turkish Cypriots, and said that he would next visit the British capital in a more crowded environment.
President Ersin Tatar also asked all segments of the society living in London to fill in the “Count Me In” form that aims to bring Turkish Cypriots together, speed up communication and help understand the number of Turkish Cypriots living abroad.
Making the opening speech of the meeting, Dr. Özkan Hıfzı, Honorary President and Founder of CTCA, said that President Tatar has always adopted a position of supporting them. He conveyed the problems of the Turkish Cypriot community in London and noted that the only thing that the society here wants is the solution of the problems. Stating that their biggest problem is education and that it is time to establish a full-fledged college in London, Dr. Hıfzı said it is important for concrete steps to be taken to open a Turkish college in order to educate future generations their language, roots and culture.
Dr. Hıfzı also demanded that steps be taken in allowing TRNC nationals living outside the country the right to take part in voting in the elections. He said this would pave the way to making politicians accountable towards Turkish Cypriots living abroad and give them an incentive to work towards addressing their problems.
Referring to the Evkaf [Foundations] owned building in central London, Dr Hıfzı stated that there have been problems on this issue and added that there is also a need to address the military requirement from Turkish Cypriot youth abroad. “This is resulting in our youth preferring to holiday in other parts of the world instead of the TRNC,” he stated.
CTCA President Fahri Zihni, who also addressed the meeting, made an introduction of the civil associations and schools that are members of the CTCA. Mr Zihni made a call to the National Education Ministry to take speedy action and resolve the teacher shortages in Turkish Schools located in London.
Officials of civil organisations and associations that make up the CTCA said that they are working to overcome the difficulties of the Turkish Cypriot community, to enhance the unity and solidarity of the Turkish Cypriot people in the UK, to keep the customs and traditions alive, to lobby for an end to the inhuman isolation, teach Turkish language in schools, research the origins of Turkic people and to bring young people together.