President Ersin Tatar: “I believe it is the national duty of everybody to plant saplings and protect the forests”
President Ersin Tatar has drawn attention on the importance of protecting the environment and wildlife – as he took part in an event of planting saplings and building bird nests in Kalkanlı.
The event was held to mark the March 21, International Day of Forests, and organised within the framework of the protocol signed between the Forestry Department and North Cyprus Foundation for the Protection of the Environment and Cultural Heritage.
President Tatar said the country was “greatly saddened by the catastrophe” that took place last May after the fire which had started in the Tepebaşı area, spread to the region of Kalkanlı and reached the Middle Eastern Technical University North Cyprus campus, gutting 7,500 dönüms of woodland.
“Measures are needed that enable quick intervention in the face of such fires,” the President said. “We do not want to go through the same incidents again. I welcome the work taken by the Forestry Department over the past year following the fire -- that is aimed at combating these sorts of incidents. We have been greatly saddened to see our forests – our greatest assets – turned to ash in a short period of time.”
The President said it could take years to replenish the forest and the region to its former self, adding: “However, by planting saplings and organizing such activities for this aim, we will be able to replenish the forest over time.”
“THE SOLIDARITY OF ORGANISATIONS IN THE TRNC IS A VERY IMPORTANT SYMBOL OF OUR UNITY”
President Tatar, who also thanked the Lions club for their support to the tree-planting campaign and the conservation of nature, said: “The coming together of our organisations in the TRNC and their solidarity is a very important symbol of our unity. I hope that uniting for good causes continue because this is the key to success” the President said.
“FORESTS SHOULD COVER AT LEAST 30 PER CENT OF OUR LAND”
Emphasising that at least 30 per cent of the country needs to be forest land to provide a “future for the country”, the President said there “needs to be productive forests which provide us oxygen. We need clean environment and healthy living. . .but this can only be achieved if we have adequate number of trees and productive forests”.
President Tatar said it is “important to continue tree planting campaigns and to conserve our forests,” adding that “Motherland Republic of Turkey has this year gifted the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus with 400,000 saplings. I welcome this and wish to express our gratitude.”
President Tatar stated that the Forestry Department is also pursuing projects of growing saplings and added that olive trees being planted are “some of the most valuable trees of the country. . .if we want to protect the TRNC we need to plant more saplings and to protect our forests. I believe this is a national duty of everybody,” he said.
“I HOPE WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THESE SAPLINGS GROW IN THREE-TO-FIVE YEARS”
President Tatar thanked the emergency teams and all the units who had responded to put out the fire in the region last year, and to everyone who contributed to the tree planting event. Stating that he was present when they were trying to put out the fire at the university campus last year, the President said “I wish to express my greatest appreciation and gratitude to all those who took part in the intervention of the fire last year. I hope that we will be able to see the saplings being planted in the region grown in three-to-five years.”
President Tatar said the country was “greatly saddened by the catastrophe” that took place last May after the fire which had started in the Tepebaşı area, spread to the region of Kalkanlı and reached the Middle Eastern Technical University North Cyprus campus, gutting 7,500 dönüms of woodland.
“Measures are needed that enable quick intervention in the face of such fires,” the President said. “We do not want to go through the same incidents again. I welcome the work taken by the Forestry Department over the past year following the fire -- that is aimed at combating these sorts of incidents. We have been greatly saddened to see our forests – our greatest assets – turned to ash in a short period of time.”
The President said it could take years to replenish the forest and the region to its former self, adding: “However, by planting saplings and organizing such activities for this aim, we will be able to replenish the forest over time.”
“THE SOLIDARITY OF ORGANISATIONS IN THE TRNC IS A VERY IMPORTANT SYMBOL OF OUR UNITY”
President Tatar, who also thanked the Lions club for their support to the tree-planting campaign and the conservation of nature, said: “The coming together of our organisations in the TRNC and their solidarity is a very important symbol of our unity. I hope that uniting for good causes continue because this is the key to success” the President said.
“FORESTS SHOULD COVER AT LEAST 30 PER CENT OF OUR LAND”
Emphasising that at least 30 per cent of the country needs to be forest land to provide a “future for the country”, the President said there “needs to be productive forests which provide us oxygen. We need clean environment and healthy living. . .but this can only be achieved if we have adequate number of trees and productive forests”.
President Tatar said it is “important to continue tree planting campaigns and to conserve our forests,” adding that “Motherland Republic of Turkey has this year gifted the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus with 400,000 saplings. I welcome this and wish to express our gratitude.”
President Tatar stated that the Forestry Department is also pursuing projects of growing saplings and added that olive trees being planted are “some of the most valuable trees of the country. . .if we want to protect the TRNC we need to plant more saplings and to protect our forests. I believe this is a national duty of everybody,” he said.
“I HOPE WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THESE SAPLINGS GROW IN THREE-TO-FIVE YEARS”
President Tatar thanked the emergency teams and all the units who had responded to put out the fire in the region last year, and to everyone who contributed to the tree planting event. Stating that he was present when they were trying to put out the fire at the university campus last year, the President said “I wish to express my greatest appreciation and gratitude to all those who took part in the intervention of the fire last year. I hope that we will be able to see the saplings being planted in the region grown in three-to-five years.”