President Ersin Tatar participated in the book signing event in Girne of the approved biography “A Cry for Justice” that has been authored by expat Jennifer Vardy.

The President expressed his gratitude to Ms Vardy, former chief justice Taner Erginel for inspiring Ms Vardy to pen the book, and to advocate Erdem Erginel for his contributions.

Speaking at the event, President Tatar stated: “A great amount of effort and labour has been spent in writing the book by Ms Vardy, which encapsulates my years from when I was born in 1960 and lived in the heart of Lefkoşa, the start of Greek Cypriot attacks in 1963, to my years when I was a student at Cambridge University and lived in the UK. The biography also gives an insight about my working life as a politician when I was first elected as a Parliamentarian of the National Unity Party, eventually becoming the Minister of Finance, Prime Minister and now the President of the TRNC.”

President Tatar stated that his life “revolved around the Cyprus issue” and that he was “crying for justice for the Turkish Cypriot People who are continuing to be persecuted and subject to inhumane isolation”.
 

“I believe in the British values of equality and justice,” President Tatar continued. “Former British officials, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Alan Lennox-Boyd, reiterated the remarks of the British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan in the 1950s, that the Turkish Cypriot People are as sovereign as the Greek Cypriots. What we are saying to the international community is that in order to reach a viable and sustainable settlement for peace and stability, the sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot People needs to be recognised.  If our sovereignty is recognised -- which is an inherent right that emanates from historical as well as the 1960 treaties that established the partnership Republic usurped by the Greek Cypriots -- then we are prepared to take part in new formal negotiations on the Cyprus problem.”
 

The President added: “Despite the injustice faced by the Turkish Cypriot People since 1963 and our continuing isolation that prevents us from being able to have direct trade and direct flights, we have been able to achieve significant economic growth and development. We have very successful universities, we have a prospering tourism sector, we have many residents from different countries from east to west who have chosen to make the TRNC their home. Many families have chosen the TRNC to not only live a peaceful life in retirement and to enjoy our beautiful country. . . but to bring up their children in a safe and secure environment and to benefit from some of our exceptional schools and universities. They have seen that we have education establishments that are just as good as those in their home country but for a third of the price.”

President Tatar stated: “I am very happy to be with you.  I am very appreciative of your support for and faith in the TRNC. We have a great future ahead of us when compared to many other countries in the world who are unfortunately locked in conflict.”

Stating that real peace came to the island of Cyprus due to the Cyprus Peace Operation by guarantor Türkiye in 1974, the President stated that “the world is continuing to treat the Greek Cypriot Side as though they are the sole owners of the island of Cyprus, and are ignoring the co-owners of this island, the Turkish Cypriot People, who have been effectively governing themselves as a State since 1963, when my People were evicted from the state apparatus of the partnership Republic by force of arms because of the aspiration to unite the island of Cyprus with Greece”.

President Tatar also stated that “even though the Turkish Cypriot People are a part of the Commonwealth, I was not invited to the Coronation of King Charles III, whilst the Greek Cypriot leader was invited. This constitutes another injustice, and a lack of equal treatment by the UK towards my People”.

Ms. Vardy, who addressed the event, thanked the President for his participation. “I have had a great honour, a fantastic two-and-a-half years of working on the book and learning a little bit about his amazing life and the work he is doing now on behalf of the TRNC and Turkish Cypriots,” Ms Vardy said.  “The President has totally convinced me, if I was not convinced before, of the justice and the right of his cause, which inspired me to fight for this great cause and to support him and his principles and projects”.

Ms. Vardy stated that the President is a “workaholic” and that “I have discovered he requires very little sleep,” adding that “everything he does is for the Turkish Cypriot People and the TRNC. We are very privileged to have Mr. Ersin Tatar as our President and we are honoured that he is here with us today”.