President Ersin Tatar participates in the International Turkic World Symposium held in Erzincan, Türkiye
“They are deceiving themselves if they think that Turkish Cypriots will succumb to the inhuman isolation and embargoes which are being imposed to force us to accept a federal basis that will be used to annihilate us.”
Photos
President Ersin Tatar, together with Binali Yildirim, Chairman of the Council of the Turkic States Organisation, attended the International Turkic World Symposium hosted by Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey.
In his address at the event, President Tatar emphasised that “a strong bond exists between the Turkish Cypriot People and the Turkic world" and added "we are united in our hearts, history and fate”.
Stating that Cyprus was part of the Ottoman Empire for 350 years, President Tatar said: “The Turkish Cypriot People have endured great suffering in Cyprus due to the acts of genocide committed by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo between 1963-1974. Despite these atrocities, the Turkish Cypriot People never surrendered”.
“Homeland does not mean just a piece of land, it also includes our national sensitivity representing our maritime rights, energy resources and our rights to airspace.”
President Tatar underlined that it is important for the Turkish Cypriot people to have a sovereign State, adding: “What does it mean to be a State? It is the struggle, the martyrdom, the blood shed and lives sacrificed for the sake of the country, the pain, the price paid. . .The end result is the legitimate TRNC. With its land, people, democracy, life, borders, recognised by the Republic of Türkiye, TRNC also has a right in the Blue Homeland.
President Tatar stated that “Blue Homeland is very important to us,” adding that “the meaning of homeland for us is not just a reference to a piece of land, it also includes our national sensitivity that represents our rights in the seas, energy resources and airspace. Nobody should see Cyprus as a small island in the south! TRNC is legitimate and formally recognised by the Republic of Türkiye, with its own territory, people, democracy, life, borders and Blue Homeland. When all the legitimate rights of the Turkic world and the Turkish Cypriot people are united with the Republic of Türkiye, in the land of martyrs, then this geography becomes much more meaningful, national and sacred”.
The President added: “I would also like to share with you the joy I feel due to the great news I have received from Mr. Binali Yildirim, Chairman of the Council of Turkic States, and Mr. Baghdad Amreyev, Secretary-General of the Turkic States Organisation, which is that the TRNC has been accepted to be an observer member of the Organisation of Turkic States at the meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, next month. I express most sincerely my gratitude to the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is always with us and supports us in this struggle”.
President Tatar said: "Our struggle in Cyprus is essentially an issue of sovereignty and the State, which was always expressed by Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş in our conversations when I was younger." Stating that the Turkish Cypriots suffered a great deal during the attacks by Greek-Greek Cypriot forces and EOKA terrorist organisation as part of their objective to annex the island of Cyprus to Greece, the President said “our People never surrendered to these attacks that were carried out with the objective of annihilating us and to make Cyprus a Greek island”.
“They are deceiving themselves if they think that Turkish Cypriots will succumb to the inhuman isolation and embargoes which are being imposed to force us to accept a federal basis that will be used to annihilate us.”
President Tatar said that there was an extraordinary influx of population brought over to the island during British colonial rule, emphasising that “the Republic of Türkiye would never have stood idle if an attempt was made to annex the island to Greece and that the Turkish Cypriot People had become one of the co-founders of the partnership ‘Republic of Cyprus’ under the basis of equality, as a result of the London and Zurich agreements.
Stating that the Turkish Cypriot People are “as sovereign as the Greek Cypriots,” the President said “this is an inherent right”, pointing out that Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş “devoted his entire life to the Cyprus national cause and fought hard to secure these rights at the negotiating table”.
Calling upon the international community and Turkic world to see what is happening in Cyprus, President Tatar stated: “The Turkic world is following the developments. There is a game with traps being played out at the international level. That plot will imprison us in a federal based settlement and deliver the Turkish Cypriot people to minority status.”
He said the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo have “never remained loyal to their own signatures and promises”, adding: "In 2004, the Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of an internationally supported UN Comprehensive Settlement [Annan] Plan in the separately held simultaneous referenda by 64 per cent. This was rejected outright by the Greek Cypriots by 76 per cent. However, despite the Greek Cypriot rejection of a solution, they were rewarded with unilateral EU membership whilst the Turkish Cypriot People were left out in the cold."
"Now they think that Turkish Cypriots will succumb to the inhuman isolation and embargoes which are being imposed to force us to accept a federal basis that will be used to annihilate us. They are deceiving themselves" said the President adding that "Republic of Turkiye and the Turkic states are behind us," the President said.
President Tatar also underlined that the TRNC is an “extension of the Turkic world in the eastern Mediterranean" and added that "I have consistently maintained the need for a two State settlement in Cyprus for sustainable peace and stability for all, because we are facing a mentality which sees Cyprus as a Hellenic island”.
Sovereign equality and equal international status
President Tatar stated that he was calling out to the whole world that the Turkish Cypriot Side, with the full support of the Republic of Türkiye, is prepared to start formal negotiations “once our sovereign equality and equal international status has been acknowledged”.
Stressing that the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo have been fighting for years to bring the Turkish Cypriots into a federal based settlement with the objective of destroying them, the President said that they are taking advantage of the fact that the Republic of Türkiye is not a member of the European Union and are trying to assimilate the Turkish Cypriots whilst making intransigent demands for zero troops, zero guarantees. The President emphasised that in light of the Greek Cypriot rejections for a federal based settlement over a period of more than 50-years, his policy is "based on mutual respect, equality and co-existence of two States that are in a cooperative relationship”.
President Tatar also pointed to the “historic address” by the President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who called upon the international community to formally recognise the TRNC, during his speech at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly on September 20, 2022. President Tatar added that during this call, President Erdoğan also emphasised the sovereign equality and equal international status and inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot People, where he also invited members of the international community to end the persecution that is being enforced against the Turkish Cypriot People through inhuman embargoes and isolation.
Expressing that "our struggle has been continuing for decades", President Tatar stated that he believes the “international community will see the realities of Cyprus”. President Tatar underlined the need to “look at the facts on the ground in order for an agreement to be reached”, and stated that “there have been two States in Cyprus for the past 60 years”.
“History will record this meeting”
President Tatar said: "The Turkish Cypriot People shall continue their lives with sovereign equality in the TRNC, and as a respected member of the Organisation of Turkic States, TRNC will continue to be a homeland where Turkic flags fly high and the Turkish people live independently with the right of sovereignty." Emphasising that history will record this meeting, President Tatar thanked the organisers and participants by expressing that in unity and solidarity, the love of homeland and flag will continue to be the source of strength that unites the Turkic world.
Binali Yıldırım, Deputy Chairman of AK Party and Chairman of the Turkic States Organisation (TDT) White Beards (Aksakallar) Delegation, also said in his speech that Turks never accepted long captivity, and that their passion for independence has never disappeared, even if their names have changed.
Mr Yıldırım said: "Turkic states have not yet received the share they deserve from the world's welfare. . .despite being in a different position from all other countries in the world in terms of energy, natural resources and strategic territories”.
Stating that the aim of the Organisation of Turkic States is not to scare anyone, but to show that it is not afraid of anyone, Mr Yildirim said "our aim is not to enslave and exploit other countries like the developed colonial countries and imperial powers do”.
Explaining the structure of the Organisation of Turkic States, Mr Yıldırım stated that they would like to see the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as an observer member at the historic summit to be held in Samarkand on November 11, which will be realised, and that the necessary preparations are continuing.
"When it comes to Turkic states and Turks, it is wrong to limit the scope to members,” Mr Yıldırım said. “When we include our cognates in many countries in the Balkans, Central Asia, the Far East and the Middle East, we are talking about a population of 300 million. We are talking about a geography of 20 million square kilometres." He said there is a “population of 170 million, gross product is 1.5 trillion dollars, and the total trade volume is 700 billion dollars in a geography of 5 million square meters, which is limited to members”.
Recalling the words of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that “the world is bigger than five"—in reference to the UN Permanent Members of the Security Council, Mr Yıldırım said: "If one of the five countries is part of the problem, then the solution is not possible. Therefore, this set up must be corrected.” He called upon the international community to “act as soon as possible” and to “roll up our sleeves for the restructuring of the UN without delay for the sake of humanity”.
Mr Yıldırım emphasised that under these conditions, Türkiye will never give up its rights and interests in both the 780,000 square kilometres of homeland and the 462,000 square kilometres of the Blue Homeland.