President Ersin Tatar holds press conference in the Republic of Azerbaijan
“Our historic visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan is significant in the history of the TRNC”
Photos
President Ersin Tatar has said that the deepening of relations between the TRNC and the Republic of Azerbaijan in different areas from tourism, trade, education to economic projects have been discussed in meetings during his historic visit to Baku.
President Tatar, who is staging a five-day visit to the country with a 200-people delegation, made the remarks in a press conference in the capital of Azerbaijan on Saturday, following his earlier 40-minute meeting with İlham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, at the Zuğulba Presidential Palace.
The press conference was also attended by First Lady Sibel Tatar, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and his wife Zerrin Üstel, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Baku, Assoc. Dr. Cahit Bağcı, and the TRNC Representative to Baku, Ufuk Turganer.
Stating that “this is a historic day”, President Tatar said the purpose of the official visit to Azerbaijan is to take part in many important meetings with numerous officials of the country, and to participate in the “TRNC Cultural and Promotion Days” activities. The President added: “We are in Baku with a delegation of 200 people that includes a number of officials and representatives of different sectors in TRNC so as to introduce and promote our country as well as to deepen our relations with Azerbaijan, and we have discussed many projects across different fields. The Turkish Cypriot People and the People of Azerbaijan are children of the same nation. We are an inseparable part of the great Turkish nation."
Emphasising that the TRNC is the “southernmost Turkish state in the eastern Mediterranean,” President Tatar said: “The Turkish Cypriot People have been facing great injustice for decades and we are in a struggle to have our equal inherent rights reaffirmed and acknowledged as a Turkish state in the region. The Republic of Türkiye, our Motherland, has been and continues to be by our side.”
President Tatar, in reference to his earlier meeting with President Aliyev, said: “It was a very constructive and a very good meeting. President Aliyev expressed his support for us. As children of the same nation, bound by historical fate between Azerbaijan and TRNC, I used the phrase ‘one nation, three states’ [in reference to Türkiye, TRNC and Azerbaijan] . . . President Aliyev supported this meaningful phrase, and he has given the necessary instructions to his authorities to further strengthen the relations and ties between our two countries.”
“TRNC observer membership to OTS came about with the support of President Erdoğan and President Aliyev”
Underlining that the TRNC was accepted as an observer member to the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) last November (2022), President Tatar said that “this historic development came to fruition due to the efforts and support of President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan İlham Aliyev”. The President added that the “historic ties between the Turkic world should deepen and continue across different areas as we shall all be stronger if we are united”.
“Our hearts and prayers were with Azerbaijan”
Stating that the TRNC “follow developments in Azerbaijan closely”, President Tatar also pointed out that Motherland Türkiye “is the most important country and lifeline for the Turkish Cypriot people”. He said the presence of the Turkish Security forces in the eastern Mediterranean, which is the guarantor of peace, tranquillity and security in Cyprus following the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, “is extremely important for the maintenance of political stability and balance in the region”.
Underlining that “The TRNC has closely followed the struggle of Azerbaijan in Karabakh,” President Tatar said: “Our hearts, thoughts and prayers have always been with you... We are happy that the whole world has seen and accepted that Karabakh is at last actually a part of Azerbaijan. Your victory in the great struggle has also been our victory.”
Cyprus issue discussed in meeting with President Aliyev
President Tatar stated that during his meeting with President Aliyev, he also discussed and evaluated the latest developments in the Cyprus issue.
President Tatar said: “I explained our new policy and vision that is fully supported by Türkiye, for a realistic and sustainable settlement to the Cyprus issue. We explained the struggle of the Turkish Cypriot People, who have been on the island for centuries, and who have equal inherent rights which we exercised as equal co-founders of the 1960 partnership Republic of Cyprus. This partnership was destroyed by the Greek Cypriot Side in December 1963, who commenced to implement acts of genocide under annihilation plans from 1963 to 1974 as part of their aspiration to unite Cyprus to Greece, expelling the Turkish Cypriots from the state apparatus by force of arms. However, despite international treaties, the Greek Cypriot Side were recognised as the sole government of the island, whilst the Turkish Cypriots remained isolated in small ghettos, squeezed into 3 per cent of the territory of the island. Following a coup d’état on July 15, 1974 by the Greek junta and the declaration of the ‘Hellenic Republic of Cyprus’, Motherland and guarantor Türkiye undertook the Cyprus Peace Operation on July 20, 1974. The Peace Operation stopped the atrocities and brought peace to our island which is continuing.”
President Tatar explained that “despite the arduous efforts of the Turkish Cypriot Side for a settlement, the Greek Cypriot Side have rejected a solution because of the mentality that Cyprus is a Hellenic Island”. He said that for decades the Turkish Cypriot People have been facing inhuman isolation and restrictions preventing direct trade, direct flights and they are not even able to participate in many prominent international sports tournaments under their own flag. “Promises made in 2004 by international actors to end our isolation have never been honoured despite the fact that the Turkish Cypriots approved the UN Comprehensive [Annan] Plan which was rejected by the Greek Cypriot Side in a separately held simultaneous referenda. . .However, despite their rejection of the settlement plan, the Greek Cypriot side were unilaterally allowed to join the EU as a member state, which they have been and are still using against us together with Greece, to further the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People,” President Tatar said.
Explaining that the “process for a solution collapsed again in Crans-Montana in July 2017,” President Tatar said: “It is now the time for the international community to take a fresh new approach to settling the Cyprus issue, to think outside the box, to accept the realities of Cyprus. We are sincere and want a realistic and sustainable settlement, which can be reached on the basis of two States, that co-exist as good neighbours, in a cooperative relationship”.
President Tatar explained that there is an attempt to “make Turkish Cypriot People bow to the pressures through the unjust isolation. . .however our struggle to live as free People under the roof of our own State shall continue, and we shall not succumb to the games being played”.
President Tatar, in reference to the historic visit to Baku and the deepening of relations between the two countries, added: “We are stronger together. The most fundamental strength of the Turkish Cypriot people is the support of Türkiye and Azerbaijan, and the entire Turkic world. We understand each other. The historical facts, the bond of love, and the unity of destiny between us bring us closer."
As a message to the Greek Cypriot Side, President Tatar stated: “The Turkish Cypriot People are not making any claims on anybody else’s rights, so long as others do not usurp our legitimate rights. We are struggling for respect, fairness, and the acknowledgment of our equal inherent rights, including our sovereign equality and equal international status.” He added that “Self-determination is a human right and the Turkish Cypriot People have the right to independence, freedom, liberty and to enjoy a dignified life”.
Stating that his visit to Azerbaijan is very important, President Tatar thanked President Aliyev, ministers, members of parliament and the press of Azerbaijan for their interest and attention.
Emphasising that the Turkish Cypriot people resisted pressures that were aimed at annihilating them, President Tatar said: "We owe our independence and freedom to our martyrs. . . our visit to Azerbaijan is an important note in the history of TRNC."
President Tatar then answered questions by members of the press. In response to a question, President Tatar stated that the Greek Cypriot Administration had unjustly become an EU member state in 2004, adding: “They do not recognise us and the persecution and embargoes against us continue." Stating that there are only direct flights to TRNC from Türkiye, President Tatar said that the absence of direct flights “has a negative impact on the economy of the TRNC”.
Answering another question, President Tatar said in reference to the Cyprus issue: “Federal based negotiations which had been held for more than 50 years have been exhausted. There is no point negotiating on the same basis that has failed to produce an outcome. I reiterate, a settlement can be reached upon the reaffirmation and acceptance of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot Side. This will provide a fair, realistic and sustainable basis for a settlement, where we co-exist as two States as good neighbours, in a cooperative relationship. . . so long as the Greek Cypriot Side respects our sovereignty and existence. We accept theirs.”
Stating that Turkish Cypriot People will never accept the withdrawal of Turkish forces and the end of the guarantee of Türkiye, President Tatar said: “This is of vital importance for us, it is our red line, it is our lifeline, that is necessary for our very existence and security in the future.”
President Tatar answered a question with regards to the TRNC representation at the OTS. “The TRNC was accepted as an observer member to the OTS,” President Tatar said. “And we are participating in many important summits. In fact, not only are our ministers and officials taking part in these summits, so, too, are our officials and representatives from different sectors of our country. The world is aware of the existence of two separate States, two separate peoples and two separate democracies that exists in Cyprus. Make no mistake about this. Our representation at the OTS will open the way for us.”
President Tatar concluded that “we are indeed an inseparable part of the great Turkish nation" and added that the “existence of the TRNC should be accepted and respected accordingly”.
Responding to a question, President Tatar said: "I invited President Aliyev to our country and he said he will come, God willing.” President Tatar also said that he had discussed the issue of direct flights during his meeting with President Aliyev. “The issue of direct flights is off course a decision that needs to be taken by Azerbaijan,” President Tatar said.
The President remarked that they had also discussed the organisation of another event in the future on promoting the TRNC as a tourism destination to the people of Azerbaijan.
Stating that there are “very successful athletes in TRNC”, President Tatar said that “it is important for our young people to be able to participate in sports tournaments in Azerbaijan and tournaments organised under the auspices of the OTS. . .we also stated our wish to see sportspeople and athletes from Azerbaijan in the TRNC”.
“The people of Azerbaijan are our brothers”
President Tatar stated that the Turkish Cypriot People see the People of Azerbaijan as “brothers of the same family, and a part of the great Turkish nation”.
“We hope that with projects being discussed, there will be more tourists visiting the TRNC, and indeed more tourists from our country to Azerbaijan. There is a great tourism potential. Flights are possible from here [Azerbaijan] to the TRNC via Antalya,” President Tatar said. “We expect there to be many beneficial outcomes following our historic visit.”
President Tatar also referred to the issue of natural gas around the eastern Mediterranean and said it could be possible to cooperate in this area with Azerbaijan in the future.
Answering a question on the development of the Yiğitler-Pile road, President Tatar stated that “all we wanted was to develop the road. An agreement has now been reached and the road will be constructed”.
President Tatar, who is staging a five-day visit to the country with a 200-people delegation, made the remarks in a press conference in the capital of Azerbaijan on Saturday, following his earlier 40-minute meeting with İlham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, at the Zuğulba Presidential Palace.
The press conference was also attended by First Lady Sibel Tatar, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and his wife Zerrin Üstel, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Baku, Assoc. Dr. Cahit Bağcı, and the TRNC Representative to Baku, Ufuk Turganer.
Stating that “this is a historic day”, President Tatar said the purpose of the official visit to Azerbaijan is to take part in many important meetings with numerous officials of the country, and to participate in the “TRNC Cultural and Promotion Days” activities. The President added: “We are in Baku with a delegation of 200 people that includes a number of officials and representatives of different sectors in TRNC so as to introduce and promote our country as well as to deepen our relations with Azerbaijan, and we have discussed many projects across different fields. The Turkish Cypriot People and the People of Azerbaijan are children of the same nation. We are an inseparable part of the great Turkish nation."
Emphasising that the TRNC is the “southernmost Turkish state in the eastern Mediterranean,” President Tatar said: “The Turkish Cypriot People have been facing great injustice for decades and we are in a struggle to have our equal inherent rights reaffirmed and acknowledged as a Turkish state in the region. The Republic of Türkiye, our Motherland, has been and continues to be by our side.”
President Tatar, in reference to his earlier meeting with President Aliyev, said: “It was a very constructive and a very good meeting. President Aliyev expressed his support for us. As children of the same nation, bound by historical fate between Azerbaijan and TRNC, I used the phrase ‘one nation, three states’ [in reference to Türkiye, TRNC and Azerbaijan] . . . President Aliyev supported this meaningful phrase, and he has given the necessary instructions to his authorities to further strengthen the relations and ties between our two countries.”
“TRNC observer membership to OTS came about with the support of President Erdoğan and President Aliyev”
Underlining that the TRNC was accepted as an observer member to the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) last November (2022), President Tatar said that “this historic development came to fruition due to the efforts and support of President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan İlham Aliyev”. The President added that the “historic ties between the Turkic world should deepen and continue across different areas as we shall all be stronger if we are united”.
“Our hearts and prayers were with Azerbaijan”
Stating that the TRNC “follow developments in Azerbaijan closely”, President Tatar also pointed out that Motherland Türkiye “is the most important country and lifeline for the Turkish Cypriot people”. He said the presence of the Turkish Security forces in the eastern Mediterranean, which is the guarantor of peace, tranquillity and security in Cyprus following the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, “is extremely important for the maintenance of political stability and balance in the region”.
Underlining that “The TRNC has closely followed the struggle of Azerbaijan in Karabakh,” President Tatar said: “Our hearts, thoughts and prayers have always been with you... We are happy that the whole world has seen and accepted that Karabakh is at last actually a part of Azerbaijan. Your victory in the great struggle has also been our victory.”
Cyprus issue discussed in meeting with President Aliyev
President Tatar stated that during his meeting with President Aliyev, he also discussed and evaluated the latest developments in the Cyprus issue.
President Tatar said: “I explained our new policy and vision that is fully supported by Türkiye, for a realistic and sustainable settlement to the Cyprus issue. We explained the struggle of the Turkish Cypriot People, who have been on the island for centuries, and who have equal inherent rights which we exercised as equal co-founders of the 1960 partnership Republic of Cyprus. This partnership was destroyed by the Greek Cypriot Side in December 1963, who commenced to implement acts of genocide under annihilation plans from 1963 to 1974 as part of their aspiration to unite Cyprus to Greece, expelling the Turkish Cypriots from the state apparatus by force of arms. However, despite international treaties, the Greek Cypriot Side were recognised as the sole government of the island, whilst the Turkish Cypriots remained isolated in small ghettos, squeezed into 3 per cent of the territory of the island. Following a coup d’état on July 15, 1974 by the Greek junta and the declaration of the ‘Hellenic Republic of Cyprus’, Motherland and guarantor Türkiye undertook the Cyprus Peace Operation on July 20, 1974. The Peace Operation stopped the atrocities and brought peace to our island which is continuing.”
President Tatar explained that “despite the arduous efforts of the Turkish Cypriot Side for a settlement, the Greek Cypriot Side have rejected a solution because of the mentality that Cyprus is a Hellenic Island”. He said that for decades the Turkish Cypriot People have been facing inhuman isolation and restrictions preventing direct trade, direct flights and they are not even able to participate in many prominent international sports tournaments under their own flag. “Promises made in 2004 by international actors to end our isolation have never been honoured despite the fact that the Turkish Cypriots approved the UN Comprehensive [Annan] Plan which was rejected by the Greek Cypriot Side in a separately held simultaneous referenda. . .However, despite their rejection of the settlement plan, the Greek Cypriot side were unilaterally allowed to join the EU as a member state, which they have been and are still using against us together with Greece, to further the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People,” President Tatar said.
Explaining that the “process for a solution collapsed again in Crans-Montana in July 2017,” President Tatar said: “It is now the time for the international community to take a fresh new approach to settling the Cyprus issue, to think outside the box, to accept the realities of Cyprus. We are sincere and want a realistic and sustainable settlement, which can be reached on the basis of two States, that co-exist as good neighbours, in a cooperative relationship”.
President Tatar explained that there is an attempt to “make Turkish Cypriot People bow to the pressures through the unjust isolation. . .however our struggle to live as free People under the roof of our own State shall continue, and we shall not succumb to the games being played”.
President Tatar, in reference to the historic visit to Baku and the deepening of relations between the two countries, added: “We are stronger together. The most fundamental strength of the Turkish Cypriot people is the support of Türkiye and Azerbaijan, and the entire Turkic world. We understand each other. The historical facts, the bond of love, and the unity of destiny between us bring us closer."
As a message to the Greek Cypriot Side, President Tatar stated: “The Turkish Cypriot People are not making any claims on anybody else’s rights, so long as others do not usurp our legitimate rights. We are struggling for respect, fairness, and the acknowledgment of our equal inherent rights, including our sovereign equality and equal international status.” He added that “Self-determination is a human right and the Turkish Cypriot People have the right to independence, freedom, liberty and to enjoy a dignified life”.
Stating that his visit to Azerbaijan is very important, President Tatar thanked President Aliyev, ministers, members of parliament and the press of Azerbaijan for their interest and attention.
Emphasising that the Turkish Cypriot people resisted pressures that were aimed at annihilating them, President Tatar said: "We owe our independence and freedom to our martyrs. . . our visit to Azerbaijan is an important note in the history of TRNC."
President Tatar then answered questions by members of the press. In response to a question, President Tatar stated that the Greek Cypriot Administration had unjustly become an EU member state in 2004, adding: “They do not recognise us and the persecution and embargoes against us continue." Stating that there are only direct flights to TRNC from Türkiye, President Tatar said that the absence of direct flights “has a negative impact on the economy of the TRNC”.
Answering another question, President Tatar said in reference to the Cyprus issue: “Federal based negotiations which had been held for more than 50 years have been exhausted. There is no point negotiating on the same basis that has failed to produce an outcome. I reiterate, a settlement can be reached upon the reaffirmation and acceptance of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot Side. This will provide a fair, realistic and sustainable basis for a settlement, where we co-exist as two States as good neighbours, in a cooperative relationship. . . so long as the Greek Cypriot Side respects our sovereignty and existence. We accept theirs.”
Stating that Turkish Cypriot People will never accept the withdrawal of Turkish forces and the end of the guarantee of Türkiye, President Tatar said: “This is of vital importance for us, it is our red line, it is our lifeline, that is necessary for our very existence and security in the future.”
President Tatar answered a question with regards to the TRNC representation at the OTS. “The TRNC was accepted as an observer member to the OTS,” President Tatar said. “And we are participating in many important summits. In fact, not only are our ministers and officials taking part in these summits, so, too, are our officials and representatives from different sectors of our country. The world is aware of the existence of two separate States, two separate peoples and two separate democracies that exists in Cyprus. Make no mistake about this. Our representation at the OTS will open the way for us.”
President Tatar concluded that “we are indeed an inseparable part of the great Turkish nation" and added that the “existence of the TRNC should be accepted and respected accordingly”.
Responding to a question, President Tatar said: "I invited President Aliyev to our country and he said he will come, God willing.” President Tatar also said that he had discussed the issue of direct flights during his meeting with President Aliyev. “The issue of direct flights is off course a decision that needs to be taken by Azerbaijan,” President Tatar said.
The President remarked that they had also discussed the organisation of another event in the future on promoting the TRNC as a tourism destination to the people of Azerbaijan.
Stating that there are “very successful athletes in TRNC”, President Tatar said that “it is important for our young people to be able to participate in sports tournaments in Azerbaijan and tournaments organised under the auspices of the OTS. . .we also stated our wish to see sportspeople and athletes from Azerbaijan in the TRNC”.
“The people of Azerbaijan are our brothers”
President Tatar stated that the Turkish Cypriot People see the People of Azerbaijan as “brothers of the same family, and a part of the great Turkish nation”.
“We hope that with projects being discussed, there will be more tourists visiting the TRNC, and indeed more tourists from our country to Azerbaijan. There is a great tourism potential. Flights are possible from here [Azerbaijan] to the TRNC via Antalya,” President Tatar said. “We expect there to be many beneficial outcomes following our historic visit.”
President Tatar also referred to the issue of natural gas around the eastern Mediterranean and said it could be possible to cooperate in this area with Azerbaijan in the future.
Answering a question on the development of the Yiğitler-Pile road, President Tatar stated that “all we wanted was to develop the road. An agreement has now been reached and the road will be constructed”.