President Ersin Tatar has paid tribute to his late father Rüstem Tatar at a seminar organised by the University of Mediterranean Karpasia (AKUN), for his “great contributions in the struggle of the Turkish Cypriot People”, who served as a minister for many years among other positions.
The seminar, which was organised by the Cyprus Studies Centre of the university and held at Grand Paşa Hotel in Lefkoşa, was attended by the Tatar family, Mayor of Lefkoşa Turkish Municipality Mehmet Harmancı, representatives from Higher Education Planning, Evaluation Accreditation and Coordination Council (YÖDAK), other officials, journalists and representatives of civil society organisations.
The fifth monthly event organised by the centre of the university, Journalist and Writer Ahmet Tolgay, Retired Bank General Manager Hüseyin Harmancı and Former Minister of Finance and Economy Onur Borman took part as speakers and shared their memories with Rüstem Tatar.
President Ersin Tatar, AKUN Vice Rector Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tolga Öz and Seminar Moderator and Head of AKUN Cyprus Studies Centre Dr. Hasan Topal addressed the event.
President Ersin Tatar thanked AKUN for organising the “meaningful seminar” and talked about the life and personality of his late father, Rüstem Zihni Tatar.
Stating that Rüstem Tatar “placed great importance on education,” President Tatar pointed out that his father had a “very successful educational life, and brought up his children with this understanding and great sensitivity”.
Recalling that Rüstem Tatar became the “first chartered accountant of Cyprus after passing qualification exams in the UK”, President Tatar said: “My father took his place in delegations that established the partnership Republic of Cyprus. He became the Auditor General in the early years of the republic, and continued his duty for three years.”
Reminding that Rüstem Tatar served as the minister responsible for financial affairs in the Transitional Turkish Cypriot Administration, the Turkish Cypriot Administration and the Autonomous Turkish Cypriot Administration, President Tatar pointed out that his father also served as the Turkish Cypriot Member of the Committee of Missing Persons for a period of time, and that he was an advisor to Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş for 22 years.
Stating that his father spent his whole life in his office, President Tatar emphasised that “Munir Tatar also attached great importance to writing and left many works of reference which have been handed over to the National Archive”.
“I am proud to be Rüstem Tatar's son,” President Tatar said, whilst paying tribute to his Father. “I salute my family who are present at the seminar today, and to my family who are in the UK.  I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone for being here today, to remember my Father, who was a great man who was not only full of compassion and a family man, but also had a great sense of duty to serving his People, who was full of love and patriotism for his country.”
In his speech, AKUN Vice Rector Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tolga Öz spoke about the life of the late Rüstem Tatar, whom he said “was one of the iconic figures of Turkish Cypriot political history”, and drew attention to the “contributions of Rüstem Tatar to the Turkish Cypriot struggle for existence”.
Assoc. Prof. Öz said he is “happy that President Ersin Tatar also took part in the seminar,”  and thanked the speakers and participants for their contributions.
AKUN Cyprus Research Centre President Dr. Hasan Topal pointed out that the TRNC has “come to this day with the payment of great prices and through great sacrifice”, and noted that “Rüstem Tatar was indeed one of the important Turkish Cypriot figures who devoted his life, paid the price and made the sacrifices needed for the goodness of his people”.
Dr. Topal said: “Rüstem Tatar left us an independent Republic and an invaluable President.”
 “May he rest in eternal peace,” he said.