President Ersin President Ersin Tatar participates in the inauguration of the monument of Founding President Rauf Denktaş in Bolu, Türkiye
President Ersin Tatar has paid tribute to Founding President Rauf Denktaş who devoted his entire life to the Turkish Cypriot national struggle, during a ceremony unveiling his monument in Bolu, Türkiye.
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President Tatar said Founding President Rauf Denktaş “will never be forgotten” and that “he loved all things Turkish, he instilled in the Turkish Cypriot People the love, ideas and thoughts of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk”.
Commencing his speech at the ceremony, President Tatar said he has brought with him the warmhearted greetings and respects of the Turkish Cypriot People, and expressed his pleasure at meeting the people of Bolu on such a meaningful day.
Expressing that Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş devoted his life to the Cyprus issue, President Tatar said: “Founding President Denktaş is an iconic figure of the Turkish world and he devoted his entire life to the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot People, and led our people in their struggle to defend their inherent sovereignty rights and independence”.
Explaining that Mr Denktaş and Turkish Cypriot leader Dr. Fazıl Küçük had led the Turkish Cypriot People through “the dark period lived between 1963 to 1974 when there were island-wide attacks against the Turkish Cypriots because of the aspiration to unite Cyprus with Greece”, President Tatar said: “Mr. Denktaş was a passionate believer in the principles of the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and used his leadership for the liberation of the Turkish nation as an inspiration for the Turkish Cypriot People. He instilled love of Atatürk to the Turkish Cypriot People.”
“Mr. Denktas was the voice of the Turkish Cypriot people”
Emphasising that Founding President Denktaş was the voice of the Turkish Cypriot people after Dr. Fazıl Küçük, President Tatar emphasised that while the founding treaties of the partnership ‘Republic of Cyprus’ were being negotiated, Mr. Denktaş was aware of the importance of the Republic of Türkiye's guarantor rights, the right of unilateral intervention, and the presence of Turkish forces in Cyprus.
Stating that the founding President Denktaş stated that the Cyprus issue cannot be resolved without Türkiye, President Tatar stated that Mr. Denktaş emphasised that the Turkish Cypriot People will survive in the geography together with the support of the Republic of Türkiye.
“If the Turkish Cypriot people did not have a State today, we would not be able to continue our existence”
“We are as sovereign as the Greek Cypriot side,” the President said. “Mr. Denktaş always emphasised importance on sovereignty, respect and equality, when he proclaimed the State,” he said. Emphasising that “if the Turkish Cypriot people did not have a State and a republic, we would not be able to continue our existence today”, President Tatar underlined that Rauf Raif Denktaş has enhrined these ideals and principles in the hearts of the Turkish Cypriot People.
President Tatar said that with the proclamation of the TRNC in 1983, Mr. Denktaş had announced to the world that “if there will be an agreement in Cyprus, this will be on the basis of two States that is based on their cooperative relationship”.
“His greatest achievement was convincing the Republic of Türkiye on the Cyprus national cause”
Emphasising that Founding President Denktaş's greatest achievement was that he had managed to persuade the Republic of Türkiye on what was happening in Cyprus and the need to support the national cause.
President Ersin Tatar emphasised that the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was supportive of his new vision and policy for a two State settlement that is based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two existing States, which he stated during his recent visit to the TRNC. President Tatar said that he is ready to start new formal negotiations when the sovereign equality and equal international basis is accepted.
Noting that Mr. Denktaş had always maintained that the eastern Mediterranean is a region that is increasing in terms of geostrategic importance, the President said that “the importance of the TRNC has therefore increased”.
President Tatar stated that it is meaningful and invaluable to keep the name of Rauf Raif Denktaş alive with the monument to be inaugurated in Bolu with the initiative of Cyprus Veteran Ahmet Şerafettin Yamaner and to show the right struggle of the Turkish Cypriot people to the young and new generations forever. The President thanked those who contributed.
The monument, financed by Cyprus Veteran Ahmet Şerafettin Yamaner, Head of Bolu Branch of the Turkish Retired Officers Association, is located in the Permanent Residences Square. Alongside the protocol, civil organisation officials and representatives and members of the public also attended the ceremony, in which the Bolu Municipality brass band took place.
Following the speeches, the monument was inaugurated, accompanied by the "Cyprus Victory March", with the participation of President Ersin Tatar and the son of the Founding President, Serdar Denktaş.
Commencing his speech at the ceremony, President Tatar said he has brought with him the warmhearted greetings and respects of the Turkish Cypriot People, and expressed his pleasure at meeting the people of Bolu on such a meaningful day.
Expressing that Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş devoted his life to the Cyprus issue, President Tatar said: “Founding President Denktaş is an iconic figure of the Turkish world and he devoted his entire life to the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot People, and led our people in their struggle to defend their inherent sovereignty rights and independence”.
Explaining that Mr Denktaş and Turkish Cypriot leader Dr. Fazıl Küçük had led the Turkish Cypriot People through “the dark period lived between 1963 to 1974 when there were island-wide attacks against the Turkish Cypriots because of the aspiration to unite Cyprus with Greece”, President Tatar said: “Mr. Denktaş was a passionate believer in the principles of the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and used his leadership for the liberation of the Turkish nation as an inspiration for the Turkish Cypriot People. He instilled love of Atatürk to the Turkish Cypriot People.”
“Mr. Denktas was the voice of the Turkish Cypriot people”
Emphasising that Founding President Denktaş was the voice of the Turkish Cypriot people after Dr. Fazıl Küçük, President Tatar emphasised that while the founding treaties of the partnership ‘Republic of Cyprus’ were being negotiated, Mr. Denktaş was aware of the importance of the Republic of Türkiye's guarantor rights, the right of unilateral intervention, and the presence of Turkish forces in Cyprus.
Stating that the founding President Denktaş stated that the Cyprus issue cannot be resolved without Türkiye, President Tatar stated that Mr. Denktaş emphasised that the Turkish Cypriot People will survive in the geography together with the support of the Republic of Türkiye.
“If the Turkish Cypriot people did not have a State today, we would not be able to continue our existence”
“We are as sovereign as the Greek Cypriot side,” the President said. “Mr. Denktaş always emphasised importance on sovereignty, respect and equality, when he proclaimed the State,” he said. Emphasising that “if the Turkish Cypriot people did not have a State and a republic, we would not be able to continue our existence today”, President Tatar underlined that Rauf Raif Denktaş has enhrined these ideals and principles in the hearts of the Turkish Cypriot People.
President Tatar said that with the proclamation of the TRNC in 1983, Mr. Denktaş had announced to the world that “if there will be an agreement in Cyprus, this will be on the basis of two States that is based on their cooperative relationship”.
“His greatest achievement was convincing the Republic of Türkiye on the Cyprus national cause”
Emphasising that Founding President Denktaş's greatest achievement was that he had managed to persuade the Republic of Türkiye on what was happening in Cyprus and the need to support the national cause.
President Ersin Tatar emphasised that the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was supportive of his new vision and policy for a two State settlement that is based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two existing States, which he stated during his recent visit to the TRNC. President Tatar said that he is ready to start new formal negotiations when the sovereign equality and equal international basis is accepted.
Noting that Mr. Denktaş had always maintained that the eastern Mediterranean is a region that is increasing in terms of geostrategic importance, the President said that “the importance of the TRNC has therefore increased”.
President Tatar stated that it is meaningful and invaluable to keep the name of Rauf Raif Denktaş alive with the monument to be inaugurated in Bolu with the initiative of Cyprus Veteran Ahmet Şerafettin Yamaner and to show the right struggle of the Turkish Cypriot people to the young and new generations forever. The President thanked those who contributed.
The monument, financed by Cyprus Veteran Ahmet Şerafettin Yamaner, Head of Bolu Branch of the Turkish Retired Officers Association, is located in the Permanent Residences Square. Alongside the protocol, civil organisation officials and representatives and members of the public also attended the ceremony, in which the Bolu Municipality brass band took place.
Following the speeches, the monument was inaugurated, accompanied by the "Cyprus Victory March", with the participation of President Ersin Tatar and the son of the Founding President, Serdar Denktaş.