President Ersin Tatar ends his visit to New York and meets with officials and members of the Turkish Cypriot Aid Society
“What binds us together is the love for our country”
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President Ersin Tatar has concluded his visit to New York where he also met with the Turkish Cypriots living there.
Delivering a speech during the visit, the President, who met with Turkish Cypriot Aid Society chairman Ali Sencer and other members, stated that he is happy to have had the opportunity to meet with Turkish Cypriots living so far away from the TRNC.
“Your efforts to preserve our identity, culture and deep-rooted relations with your homeland the TRNC is commendable,” the President said, adding: “What binds us together is the love for our country. As someone who also lived abroad in the UK for many years, I understand the challenges you face in trying to make a living, whilst also trying to teach next generations the importance of preserving their identity and culture.”
The President said he was touched by the “love for the homeland” that was instilled in Turkish Cypriots he had met in the US.
“We are in this struggle together, and we will continue this path with determination and with the strength we share in solidarity for our national cause.”
President Tatar emphasised that he put forward a new policy which is based on sovereign equality and equal international status – that is needed in order to start a new formal negotiation process.
“We have repeatedly stated that negotiations on the basis of a federal settlement have been exhausted because of the countless rejections of the Greek Cypriot Side for more than half-a-century to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriots on the basis of equality. The time for change and the time to open a new chapter for our island has come, where the two States can co-exist and cooperate side-by-side,” he added.
Stating that the new policy is fully supported by the Republic of Türkiye, the President said: “We will never accept the attempts by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo who are trying to make Turkish Cypriots a minority. We will not entertain these sorts of games. No one can sever our historic ties with Anatolia. They will not succeed in getting Motherland Türkiye, which brought real peace to the island and freedom to the Turkish Cypriot People, to withdraw from the island. There is absolutely no credibility in the claim that there can be security provided within the EU mechanism for the Turkish Cypriots.”
Pointing to the importance of the historic speech of the President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the UN General Assembly with regards to the formal recognition of the TRNC, President Tatar said: "As a Turkish State in Cyprus, we intend to continue to exist freely and independently as a sovereign State and we shall continue to proclaim to the world that there can be an agreement in which we can determine our own future.”
President Tatar underlined the long-standing national struggle and importance of the Turkish Cypriot People existing as equals on the island of Cyprus against the objective of the Greek Cypriot Side to annex the island with Greece. “We must never forget the sacrifice and heroism shown by our People. . .what binds us is our love for the TRNC,” he said.
Mr Sencer and members of the Society expressed support to President Tatar's policy on the Cyprus issue and stated that they try to defend the justified case of the Turkish Cypriots in the American Congress and in official authorities with the help of the Federation of Turkish-American Associations established in New York.