President Ersin Tatar receives honorary doctorate at Karadeniz Technical University
Photos
President Ersin Tatar was awarded an honorary doctorate in international relations at Karadeniz Technical University.
President Tatar also gave a conference titled "The Strategic Importance of TRNC within the Turkic World" at the university.
Addressing the ceremony, President Tatar thanked the Karadeniz Technical University, academic staff and students, for their hospitality and welcome. President Tatar said that the “City of Trabzon is very important for us in the TRNC,” and he thanked the university for awarding him an honorary doctorate.
President Tatar touched on the Cyprus issue during his speech, stating that the Turkish Cypriot People have gone through many years of pain and suffering which dates back to when Britain had annexed the Island.
“The Turkish Cypriot People have struggled against the Greek Cypriot aspiration to unite Cyprus to Greece,” President Tatar said. “In 1960, a partnership State, the Republic of Cyprus, was established by Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots as partners. This republic lived only for three years as in 1963 island-wide armed attacks were initiated against the Turkish Cypriots which continued until1974.”
Explaining that a coup d’etat was staged by the Greek Junta on July 15, 1974, and the ‘Hellenic Republic of Cyprus’ was declared, President Tatar said that Türkiye, as one of the guarantor powers, undertook the Cyprus Peace Operation to stop the atrocities.
The President stated that the Greek Cypriot Side has rejected at least 15 settlement plans over the past half-a-century, which includes the rejection of a UN Comprehensive Settlement Plan in 2004, where 76 per cent of Greek Cypriots voted against, whilst 65 per cent of Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the plan in the separately held simultaneous referenda.
President Tatar explained that with his election in October 2020, the TRNC public have supported a settlement that is based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot People. “Federal based negotiations failed having been tried and failed many times decade after decade and therefore a new and realistic page needs to be opened for Cyprus, where the two Sides co-exist as good neighbours in a cooperative relationship,” President Tatar said.
“We are putting forward basis for a two State settlement that is a position fully supported by the Republic of Türkiye,” President Tatar said.
Stating that the TRNC has always maintained close relations with Türkiye on every level, the President drew attention to the importance of defending the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot People in the Blue Homeland, in the air and on land.
The President stated that the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had in his address at the UN General Assembly called for an end to the isolation and restrictions on the Turkish Cypriot People which he said is tantamount to persecution. President Tatar thanked President Erdoğan for his repeated calls at the UN General Assembly for the international community to formally recognise the TRNC and to form direct diplomatic, economic and political relations with the country.
President Tatar stated that he will not approve of any settlement that envisages the demolishment of the guarantor status of Türkiye – which he called “the lifeline of Turkish Cypriot People”, and he thanked President Erdoğan for his support to the TRNC.
Stating that he will “continue to work for the development of the TRNC together with Türkiye”, President Tatar emphasised in his message to the youth: "Our future is together, and together we shall carry out our national cause forever; it should be remembered that the Island of Cyprus is important for Türkiye as well as for the Turkic world.”
President Tatar also spoke about the eastern Mediterranean being of geostrategic importance, and the existence of energy resources around the Island.
President Tatar wished the students success in their future and invited them to visit the TRNC.
Following the address at the university, President Tatar continued to visit the Trabzon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI).
The President met with the TCCI President Erkut Çelebi and board members, and he was briefed about the work of the chamber. Discussions were also held on investment opportunities in TRNC, especially in renewable energy and agriculture.