President Ersin Tatar attends the ceremony to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the liberation of Yeşilırmak
“Our struggle to defend our national interests and existence is continuing"
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President Ersin Tatar participated in the ceremony to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the “epic resistance” of the Turkish Cypriot People in Yeşilırmak and the liberation of the village which is located on the western coast of the TRNC.
Paying tribute to the martyrs and veterans in his address at the ceremony, President Tatar stated that “the resistance of the people of Yeşilırmak was literally until the last bullet, as they struggled to defend the village from heavy attacks of the Greek-Greek Cypriot forces and EOKA terrorist organisation. Our martyrs sacrificed their lives, and defended the village without losing hope. The people of Yeşilırmak played an important role in the distribution of aid, food and weapons transported from Motherland Türkiye, to help our people all over the island defend themselves”.
President Tatar stated: “Turkish Cypriot People were one of the co-founders of the partnership Republic of Cyprus that was established in 1960, which only lived for three years, as armed attacks were initiated by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo across the island on our people to realise their aspiration to annex Cyprus with Greece (ENOSIS). Archbishop Makarios had stated that independence was not the final aim but only a springboard for ENOSIS. The Turkish Cypriots suffered immensely, forced to abandon 103 villages and squeezed in less than three per cent of the island’s territory and as from 1963 to 1974, the Turkish Cypriot People defended their inherent rights, including their sovereignty. We are as sovereign as the Greek Cypriot people. Our People paid a heavy price and made many sacrifices for us to live in freedom today, under the roof of our own State.”
Pointing out that the Cyprus Peace Operation was staged on July 20, 1974 by Guarantor Türkiye in accordance with the obligations enshrined in the 1960 treaties, President Tatar added: “Days before this operation, there was a coup d’état by the Greek Junta, the ‘Hellenic Republic of Cyprus’ was declared and Archbishop Makarios had addressed the UN Security Council where he stated clearly that Greece had invaded Cyprus. The Cyprus Peace Operation by Türkiye was a historical turning point which brought real peace to the island and stopped the atrocities. The borders of the TRNC were drawn following the arrival of Turkish forces to Yeşilırmak and the region on September 5, 1974.”
President Tatar stated that negotiations for a settlement on a federal basis, which requires power sharing arrangements between the two equal Sides on the island, has continuously been rejected by the Greek Cypriot Side because of their hegemonic mentality.
“The Greek Cypriot Side rejected the UN Comprehensive Settlement [UN] Plan in 2004 in the separately held simultaneous referenda, which was accepted by the Turkish Cypriot Side,” President Tatar said. “And in 2017, the Greek Cypriot Side again rejected a settlement in Crans-Montana. Negotiations on the federal basis have been exhausted. We are proposing a new forward looking basis that takes into consideration the realities of the island. A settlement can be reached on the basis of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two Sides. The Turkish Cypriot People have been penalised through the perpetuation of the unacceptable status-quo through no fault of their own. It is time to open a new chapter and to discuss how we can co-exist as good neighbours in a cooperative relationship, that will be to the benefit of all.”
Stating that the TRNC is a Turkish state in the eastern Mediterranean in a geostrategic region, President Tatar said: “We are in unity with Motherland Türkiye in the protection of our national interests,” President Tatar added. “We promise our martyrs. We will never abandon our sovereignty, our independence, our State and our freedom. You have not sacrificed your lives in vain,” he said.
President Tatar stated that President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was in many important meetings emphasising the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot People, adding that a sustainable settlement can be reached on this basis that will provide prosperity, security and cooperation on the Island of Cyprus and the region.
President Tatar concluded that the “existence of the Turkish army and the Guarantee of Motherland Türkiye is of paramount importance for us and our security which we will never give up”.
President Tatar wished all martyrs to rest in eternal peace.