The 5th Caretta Caretta Festival, organized this year by the Lapta Alsancak Çamlıbel Municipality, the North Cyprus Foundation for the Protection of the Environment and Cultural Heritage, and the Nicosia Central Lions Club, was held at the Karşıyaka Güzelyalı Public Beach on Sunday.

President Ersin Tatar, who attended the festival, stressed the importance of various institutions working together to protect nature and the environment in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the jewel of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Noting that the eggs of the caretta caretta turtles that come to lay eggs were protected and that the hatchlings were released into the sea, the President congratulated those who contributed to these efforts.

Noting that preserving cultural heritage was crucial for the country’s tourism and future, Tatar stressed that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus had established its place in the civilized world with its institutions, organizations, values, and modernity.

Stating that while there are wars and deaths occurring around the world, the Turkish Cypriots were sensitive to the protection and reproduction of the caretta caretta turtles and value living beings, President Tatar noted that despite isolation and embargoes, sensitivity towards the environment was maintained in order to protect world heritage.