President Ersin Tatar addresses “American Turkish Business World Gathering” hosted by ASKON USA in New York
“I wholeheartedly express my gratitude to President Erdoğan for his historic statement at the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly, and his call to the international community to end our unjust isolation, and for the reaffirmation of our sovereign equality and equal international status”
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President Ersin Tatar participated in the “American Turkish Business World Gathering” hosted by Anatolian Businessman Association USA (ASKON) at Chart House, New York.
The event, which brought together hundreds of American and Turkish business leaders, was also attended by the Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek, of the Republic of Türkiye.
President Tatar was welcomed by Ayhan Özmekik, President of ASKON USA and Orhan Aydın, General President of ASKON.
Addressing the business gathering, President Tatar said that he is “very happy to be with you today”, adding that "having listened to the ministers who spoke before me, I see with great pride that Türkiye is in safe hands and will continue economic growth, following the negative effects of the pandemic, the devastating earthquakes and the conflicts in other countries that caused issues in the food chain”.
“ I can say, as an economist, that it is indeed important to be able to foresee the direction of the economy through statistical data, to attract investment and business, and to increase productivity and promote healthy competition,” President Tatar said.
Pointing out the importance in competing in business and trade with other countries of the world, President Tatar stated that Türkiye is a “regional power” that had spearheaded international efforts in tackling the food crisis that ensued following the start of the Ukraine-Russia war.
Praising the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who delivered a “historic address at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly,” President Tatar said: “We are putting forward a national position with regards to the Cyprus national cause. It is a national duty to protect the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot People and the rights and interests of the Great Turkish nation in the eastern Mediterranean, in the Blue Homeland and airspace.”
Referring to the address of President Erdoğan at the UN General Assembly, President Tatar continued: “President Erdoğan advocated the Turkish Cypriot cause whilst looking into the eyes of the world, during his historic speech at the UN General Assembly. He once again stated our national position for a two State settlement in Cyprus, that there are two States and two Peoples on the Island. He spoke about our inherent rights, namely our sovereign equality and equal international status. He spoke about the inhumane and relentless isolation that is continuing to be imposed on my People and urged the international community to end these restrictions, because it is a great injustice. I wish to express my wholehearted gratitude to President Erdoğan on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot People, for he has been our voice and has called upon world nations to end our unjust isolation that is preventing my people from the enjoyment of direct flights, direct trade and direct contacts. The isolation is a violation of the human rights of Turkish Cypriots. The undertaking of the international community to end these restrictions during the period of the UN Comprehensive Settlement Plan in 2004 has never been honoured.”
President Tatar added that, during the address of President Erdoğan, he had emphasised that federal-based negotiations have "completely lost its validity".
“As you will recall, federal-based negotiations have been held in Cyprus for more than half-a-century,” President Tatar said. “Despite the arduous efforts of the Turkish Cypriot Side, and their support for a UN settlement plan in the separately held simultaneous referenda in April 2004, it was the Greek Cypriot People who rejected the federal solution. Last and final negotiations on the exhausted basis again ended with failure in Crans-Montana in July 2017. All of these have shown that it is the Greek Cypriot Side that refuses to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriot People on the basis of equality,” President Tatar said.
Stating that the Greek Cypriot Side is also making demands like “zero-troops and zero-guarantees” in order to “demolish the Guarantee rights of Türkiye”, President Tatar said: “We have this year celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation that saved the Turkish Cypriot People, following many years of atrocities committed against us by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo, as part of their aspiration to unite Cyprus with Greece. Türkiye saved us, stopped the bloodshed, and brought peace to both Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People, who have been governing themselves separately as two States. This is the factual realities on the ground in Cyprus. Negotiations on the federal basis have failed to produce a settlement. This is why we are saying there is a need to think outside the federal box and towards a realistic and sustainable settlement that is based on good neighbourly relations and a cooperative relationship of the two States in Cyprus, and to look ahead to a sustainable future.”
Stating that the Island of Cyprus lies just 40 miles south of the Turkish coast and is of significant geopolitical and geostrategic interest, President Tatar said that the “level of strategic importance of the region is increasing following the discovery of energy resources,” and that “the Island, which also has two SBA’s, is being used for military purposes and providing logistical support. . . all of these have significantly shown just how important the Island is".
President Tatar stated that with the support of President Erdoğan and the President of Azerbaijan, İlham Aliyev, the TRNC has become an observer member with its constitutional name of the Organisation of Turkic States. He said the TRNC is continuing to develop relations and cooperation with other Turkic States across different areas.
President Tatar concluded his speech by thanking ASKON for inviting him to the business gathering and wished everyone well for the future.
The event, which brought together hundreds of American and Turkish business leaders, was also attended by the Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek, of the Republic of Türkiye.
President Tatar was welcomed by Ayhan Özmekik, President of ASKON USA and Orhan Aydın, General President of ASKON.
Addressing the business gathering, President Tatar said that he is “very happy to be with you today”, adding that "having listened to the ministers who spoke before me, I see with great pride that Türkiye is in safe hands and will continue economic growth, following the negative effects of the pandemic, the devastating earthquakes and the conflicts in other countries that caused issues in the food chain”.
“ I can say, as an economist, that it is indeed important to be able to foresee the direction of the economy through statistical data, to attract investment and business, and to increase productivity and promote healthy competition,” President Tatar said.
Pointing out the importance in competing in business and trade with other countries of the world, President Tatar stated that Türkiye is a “regional power” that had spearheaded international efforts in tackling the food crisis that ensued following the start of the Ukraine-Russia war.
Praising the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who delivered a “historic address at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly,” President Tatar said: “We are putting forward a national position with regards to the Cyprus national cause. It is a national duty to protect the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot People and the rights and interests of the Great Turkish nation in the eastern Mediterranean, in the Blue Homeland and airspace.”
Referring to the address of President Erdoğan at the UN General Assembly, President Tatar continued: “President Erdoğan advocated the Turkish Cypriot cause whilst looking into the eyes of the world, during his historic speech at the UN General Assembly. He once again stated our national position for a two State settlement in Cyprus, that there are two States and two Peoples on the Island. He spoke about our inherent rights, namely our sovereign equality and equal international status. He spoke about the inhumane and relentless isolation that is continuing to be imposed on my People and urged the international community to end these restrictions, because it is a great injustice. I wish to express my wholehearted gratitude to President Erdoğan on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot People, for he has been our voice and has called upon world nations to end our unjust isolation that is preventing my people from the enjoyment of direct flights, direct trade and direct contacts. The isolation is a violation of the human rights of Turkish Cypriots. The undertaking of the international community to end these restrictions during the period of the UN Comprehensive Settlement Plan in 2004 has never been honoured.”
President Tatar added that, during the address of President Erdoğan, he had emphasised that federal-based negotiations have "completely lost its validity".
“As you will recall, federal-based negotiations have been held in Cyprus for more than half-a-century,” President Tatar said. “Despite the arduous efforts of the Turkish Cypriot Side, and their support for a UN settlement plan in the separately held simultaneous referenda in April 2004, it was the Greek Cypriot People who rejected the federal solution. Last and final negotiations on the exhausted basis again ended with failure in Crans-Montana in July 2017. All of these have shown that it is the Greek Cypriot Side that refuses to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriot People on the basis of equality,” President Tatar said.
Stating that the Greek Cypriot Side is also making demands like “zero-troops and zero-guarantees” in order to “demolish the Guarantee rights of Türkiye”, President Tatar said: “We have this year celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation that saved the Turkish Cypriot People, following many years of atrocities committed against us by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo, as part of their aspiration to unite Cyprus with Greece. Türkiye saved us, stopped the bloodshed, and brought peace to both Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People, who have been governing themselves separately as two States. This is the factual realities on the ground in Cyprus. Negotiations on the federal basis have failed to produce a settlement. This is why we are saying there is a need to think outside the federal box and towards a realistic and sustainable settlement that is based on good neighbourly relations and a cooperative relationship of the two States in Cyprus, and to look ahead to a sustainable future.”
Stating that the Island of Cyprus lies just 40 miles south of the Turkish coast and is of significant geopolitical and geostrategic interest, President Tatar said that the “level of strategic importance of the region is increasing following the discovery of energy resources,” and that “the Island, which also has two SBA’s, is being used for military purposes and providing logistical support. . . all of these have significantly shown just how important the Island is".
President Tatar stated that with the support of President Erdoğan and the President of Azerbaijan, İlham Aliyev, the TRNC has become an observer member with its constitutional name of the Organisation of Turkic States. He said the TRNC is continuing to develop relations and cooperation with other Turkic States across different areas.
President Tatar concluded his speech by thanking ASKON for inviting him to the business gathering and wished everyone well for the future.