President Ersin Tatar participates in November 15 Republic Day reception in London, UK
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President Ersin Tatar has participated in the November 15 Republic Day reception in London, that celebrated the 40th anniversary of the proclamation of the TRNC.
The reception, which was hosted by the TRNC Representative to London Çimen Keskin, was held at the Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill hotel on Thursday evening. Also in attendance were Republic of Türkiye Ambassador to London Koray Ertaş, Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce President Turgay Deniz, representatives of various civil groups and business people and members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the TRNC.
President Tatar, who addressed the reception, stated that he places "great importance on Turkish Cyoriots living abroad," and stated that "I am very honoured to be here with you in the celebrations marking this very important anniversary, where we are celebrating with joy the 40th year of the proclamation of our State, the TRNC".
"The Turkish Cypriot People have existed in the UK for more than a century," President Tatar said. "Your hearts beat for your homeland, the TRNC, and we have many successful Turkish Cypriots contributing to the society and economy of the UK. Our national struggle for justice as a People continues in the face of inhumane isolation and embargoes preventing direct trade and direct flights to our country. The Turkish Cypriot People want justice, equal treatment and equal opportunities. I am here to make fresh new calls for the UK to review its position with regards to the Island of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot People. We live under the roof our own State, we have our own democracy, state apparatus, presidency, parliament, government, judiciary."
The President, who paid tribute to the late Turkish Cypriot leader Dr. Fazıl Küçük, Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the national struggle of the Turkish Cypriot People, added: "The Greek Cypriot Side have rejected at least 15 settlement plans and ideas over the past half-a-century on a federal basis. Negotiations on this basis have been tried, failed and exhausted. Rather than continuing to insist on the the exhausted basis, it is high time the international community and especially the UK as one of the Guarantor powers, supports a settlement that is based on sovereign equality and equal international status of both Sides, and for a settlement that is based on the cooperative relationship of two States, that co-exist as good neighbours. This is a realistic, practical and sustainable basis for a settlement in Cyprus."
The President stated that the Greek Cypriot Side were accepted as an EU member state just one week after having rejected the UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan in the separately held simoltaneous referenda in 2004. He said despite the promises by the international community to put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People, "none of these promises have as yet been honoured". He added that negotiations for a settlement had collapsed again in Crans-Montana in 2017, because of the refusal of the Greek Cypriot Side to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriot People on the basis of equality.
Calling upon the UK to "treat the Turkish Cypriot People on an equal footing," President Ersin Tatar added: "We are continuing to seek justice and equal treatment from the international community. We continue our struggle for our State to take its rightful place in the world. The UK in particular, as one of the Guarantor powers, knows the Cyprus issue more than other country, and the British government should listen to the voice of the Turkish Cypriot People, who just want to live in peace as one of the equal inherent peoples of the Island of Cyprus."
"The TRNC is a symbol of our sovereignty and independence," President Tatar said. "We are today celebrating the 40th anniversary of the proclamation of our State, the TRNC. We will never give up our struggle for recognition, equal treatment and equal opportunity."
President Tatar stated that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a guarantee of "peace and security in the region" and said that the "support of the Republic of Türkiye to the TRNC as well as the Turkish Cypriots living abroad will enable us to take firmer steps forward".
Expressing that "being together with the Turkish Cypriots in London on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the proclamation of the TRNC is a source of great honour and pride", President Tatar pointed out the "significance of all the efforts and lobbying carried out by Turkish Cypriots living in the UK that are aimed at lifting the unfair isolation and embargoes imposed on the TRNC".
"Turkish Cypriot people never gave up in their struggle," the President said, adding: "The TRNC is a democratic and modern state. Our people paid a heavy price in defending their sovereignty and equal inherent rights; Our People suffered a great deal of pain and suffering. However, our determination to exist and to live as a free and independent people continued. Our struggle over many decades were "crowned with the proclamation of the TRNC, with the will power of the people".
President Tatar highlighted that there will be no turning back from the two State policy.
Stating that the solidarity of Turkish Cypriot people despite all difficulties would pave the way to overcoming many obstacles, the President underlined the importance of the TRNC citizens living abroad. President Tatar noted that the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot people continue to be voiced in the world.
Explaining that the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has once again in his address at the UN General Assembly called upon the international community to formally recognise the TRNC and to establish diplomatic, economic and political relations with our country, President Tatar said: "The TRNC, under its constitutional name, has been accepted as an observer member to the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS). We are being invited to international summits of the OTS across different levels. Our country is also represented at the Economic Cooperation Organisation. All of these are significant in the TRNC -- a geostrategic state in the eastern Mediterranean -- in becoming more acknowledged, and we are paving the way towards building relations in different areas despite the obstructionist policies of the Greek Cypriot Side."
President Tatar also said that he had recently visited Baku, and had met with the President of Azerbaijan, İlham Aliyev, adding: "All of these developments are due to our new policy which is fully supported by the Republic of Türkiye."
President Tatar added that he has put forward a fresh new initiative for a "coopeeration dialogue" with the Greek Cypriot Side, which he said he explained to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his recent telephone conversation with him. "Cooperation dialogue is very important, and it will be a sincerity test to the Greek Cypriot leader to see if he means business," President Tatar said. President Tatar added that the Turkish Cypriot Side was currently waiting for the appointment of a personal envoy by the UN Secretary-General, to explore whether common ground exists or not between the two Sides for a limited period of time.
TRNC Representative to London, Çimen Keskin in her opening address at the reception thanked President Tatar for "honouring us with your presence at the reception" and she thanked everybody for attending the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the TRNC.
Keskin added that "the two State policy will determinedly continue and our State will be glorified. . . our expectations from the UK as one of the the guarantor powers, is to review its position and to take a new approach with regards to the Cyprus issue".
Republic of Türkiye Ambassador to London, Koray Ertaş also addressed the reception and congratulated the 40th anniversary of the proclamation of the TRNC. Ambassador Ertaş paid tribute to Founding President Rauf Denktaş and Dr. Fazıl Küçük, and stated that the struggle of the Turkish Cypriot People was to live as a dignified people in freedom under the roof of their own State. He pointed out that "through persistence, success will be reached; the Republic of Türkiye will continue to support the TRNC in every field".