President Ersin Tatar issued a message in commemoration of the Resistance put forward by Turkish Cypriots against the British Colonial Administration in 1958
“While we reaffirm that we will not give up our State and sovereignty, we pay our deepest respects to our martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the January 27-28, 1958 Resistance. I pay tribute to our martyrs and veterans with the utmost respect and gratitude. May all our martyrs rest in the eternal peace and our veterans have long healthy lives."
President Ersin Tatar issued a written statement on the 63rd anniversary of the Turkish Cypriot people's struggle for freedom, independence and sovereignty against the British Colonial Administration.
The President said in his written statement, that it is with "great pride and honour" that we commemorate the "resistance of the Turkish Cypriot people, on the 63rd anniversary, of January 27-28, 1958, when they used themselves as a shield against the British Colonial Administration in their struggle for freedom, independence and sovereignty".
He added: "In those days when the British Colonial Administration, together with the Greek Cypriot leadership, tried to make our people a minority by depriving them of their right to sovereignty, the Turkish Cypriot people stood their ground and said they will neither bow down and surrender to the British and to the Greek Cypriots.”
Stating that the resistance put forward by the Turkish Cypriot on January 17-28, 1958, has a very important place in the history of our struggle, President Tatar added: “With this resistance, where there was loss of life. . .our people claimed the right to determine their own destiny and shouted to the world that they want to maintain their freedom and independence. During this great resistance that continued for two days in Lefkoşa and Gazimağusa, there were seven martyrs and many wounded, but nobody surrendered. Whilst showing the world that the Turkish Cypriot people are not prepared to accept becoming a minority, that they will not be patched onto the Greek Cypriots and that there are two distinct and separate peoples in Cyprus, the struggle was instrumental in showing that we are a sovereign people in Cyprus.”
Explaining the January 27-28 Resistance supervised by the Turkish Resistance Organisation (TMT), the President said that the determined stance of the Turkish Cypriots eventually led to the independence of Cyprus and the formation of the Republic of Cyprus, of which the Turkish Cypriots were equal founding partners.
The President added: “Following the ‘Bloody Christmas’ attacks which was staged by Greek Cypriot forces in December 1963 that was aimed at annexing the island of Cyprus to Greece (ENOSIS) and the atrocities committed up to 1974, the Turkish Cypriot people were liberated following the Turkish intervention, and peace has prevailed on our island with the help and support of Motherland Turkey. We Turkish Cypriots crowned our century old struggle for freedom and independence with the proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a sovereign state where we live today in peace.”
President Tatar added: “With the inspiration and strength which we draw from our heroic martyrs who lost their lives during the 27-28 January Resistance, we will never bow down and surrender to the Greek Cypriots. Today we are shouting to the world that we will protect and never surrender our sovereignty, freedom, independence and State.”
President Tatar said in contrast, however, that the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo, are continuing to falsely claim that they are the sole rulers of Cyprus and trying to make our people a minority. “Today, as in the past, we shall continue the struggle to protect the rights and interests of our people and our State by clinging even tighter to the Motherland of Turkey,” he added.
Referring to the failed negotiations in Cyprus which have been held since 1968, the President said that the Greek-Greek Cypriot sides have “employed an uncompromising approach” and said “this became more evident in the 2004-held separate simultaneous referenda for a UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan – rejected by 76 per cent of the Greek Cypriots, and accepted by 64 per cent by Turkish Cypriots.
“Negotiations based on an equal partnership power sharing settlement again failed in 2017 in Crans Montana because of the Greek Cypriot side’s refusal to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriots,” the President said. “Therefore, there is no point in discussing such a model.”
The President emphasised that “looking forward, the way to achieving sustainable peace and stability is to conduct negotiations on the basis of two equally sovereign States, which is what I have put onto the negotiating table for the first time in Geneva last April”.
He said an agreement on this basis, which is also supported by Motherland Turkey, the largest and most powerful country in the region, is the only solution that will benefit Cyprus and the region. “Our efforts and hope is the implementation of the solution based on the cooperation of two sovereign States and the end of the Cyprus problem,” President Tatar said.
The President concluded: “While expressing once again that we will not give up our State and sovereignty, we commemorate our martyrs who lost their lives during the January 27-28 Resistance, and we greet our veterans with utmost respect and gratitude. We have not forgotten our martyrs and we will not forget them”.