TRNC President Ersin Tatar received the delegation of the Turkish War Veterans Association yesterday (24th March, 2022).

President Tatar touched upon the historical process experienced by the Turkish Cypriots at the reception, according to the information given by the Presidency.

Reminding that every will has been put forth for the isolation and elimination of the Turkish Cypriots on the island, President Ersin Tatar talked about the attacks carried out by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo to annex the island of Cyprus to Greece.

Reminding that the Turkish Cypriots struggled to prevent the island’s annexation to Greece, President Tatar stated that the peace operation of the Republic of Turkey on the island in 1974, using its right of unilateral intervention as a guarantor state due to the 1960 Treaties, was legitimate and in line with international law.

Stating that the Turkish Cypriot people, who were pushed out of the state by force of arms, have the right to establish their own state as the equal founding partner of the Republic of Cyprus, according to the UN conventions, President Ersin Tatar said, “Currently, we are in an effort to strengthen the TRNC state in an environment where peace and tranquility have been achieved in the Eastern Mediterranean.”.

Stating that the federation talks were inconclusive, President Tatar noted that the decision to unilaterally join the European Union has upset the balance in the scale. Pointing out that it would not be possible for the Turkish Cypriots to maintain their presence on the island under such a roof since the Republic of Turkey is not an EU member, President Ersin Tatar emphasized that the Turkish Cypriots would never accept Turkey’s leaving the island and “zero soldier, zero guarantee”.

Expressing the importance of protecting the Turkish Cypriots’ rights and law in the Eastern Mediterranean together with Turkey, President Tatar noted that there can only be an agreement with the cooperation of two independent states living side by side.