Turkish-Cypriot community hails robust ties with Qatar

Qatar TRİBUNE

Maneesh Bakshi

1 December 2016

Members of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) community in Qatar, in collaboration with their representative office in Doha, organised a reception to mark the 33rd anniversary of the proclamation of the TRNC, at W Doha recently.

TRNC representative in Qatar HE Aytug Fazil Plumer addressed the dignitaries from the diplomatic community, Qatari officials and members of the Turkish community who attended the event. The event included classical music followed by a lavish buffet dinner of authentic Turkish delicacies prepared by a Turkish chef.

 It was an opportunity for the expatriate Turkish Cypriots to socialise and reach out to one another. The highlight of the evening was a lively concert performance by talented musicians from the community. After the excellent music, it was the turn of the taste buds to be pampered by a gastronomic delight in the form of an elaborate Turkish dinner menu. The Turkish music and food turned the evening into a memorable sensory experience for the gathering.

Welcoming the guests, Plumer said, “I am happy to report that the relations between Turkish Cyprus and Qatar have been following a steady and favourable path in the recent years. Meaningful and fruitful dialogue with the Qatari authorities has been initiated in all fields, including commercial, economic and cultural fields.”

Recounting the highlight of the diplomatic milestones of the past, he said, “I am pleased to say that since our arrival here in Doha, our Foreign Minister has visited Doha twice over the last two years, holding official talks on the education front, as well as political, and other issues of mutual interest.”

He continued, “This has been followed by visits by businessmen and university representatives from Northern Cyprus in order to explore possibilities for further cooperation. We have come a long way in expanding the relations between our two countries.”

Mentioning the high standards of education in his country, he said, “Students from Arab countries constitute a large chunk in our universities. We look forward to receiving more Qatari students as well as those from other GCC countries, and to welcome them in our country. They can rest assured that they will find a friendly and tranquil environment to pursue their education goals in their second home.”

According to him, in the field of education, Northern Cyprus has taken a big leap ahead and has reached a level of excellence with its universities providing high-standard education at affordable tuition fees. “The number of students enrolled in our universities has reached a total of 93,000. Nearly a third of them come from countries of the Middle East, the Gulf, Asia and Africa,” he said.

He also hailed the close cooperation between TRNC and Turkey saying, “The historic project for bringing water from Turkey to Cyprus through a pipeline has been completed and fresh water is already in our dams and running through our taps. It has transformed the country in terms of agricultural production and also boosts tourism and related sectors.”

“The close cooperation between Turkey and Northern Cyprus did not end here. Last month, the two countries signed an agreement for cooperation in the field of energy, which will ultimately lead to an electric interconnection system through cables under the sea,” Plumer said in his address.

 When this project is completed, Northern Cyprus would have a secure supply of electricity, which would also be environmentally friendly, clean and sustainable.

It would also lead to cooperation in developing renewable energy projects and infrastructure investments in the area of hydrocarbons in the country.