President Ersin Tatar participated in the Dr. Fazıl Küçük and Halkın Sesi II. International Symposium held in Ankara, where he reaffirmed that a settlement in Cyprus could only be achieved through cooperation between two sovereign states.

Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy also addressed the event, emphasizing the importance of preserving and passing down the rich cultural heritage of the Turkish Cypriot people to future generations.

The symposium, organized by Başkent University, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), and the Dr. Fazıl Küçük Foundation, took place at the TİKA Conference Hall in Ankara.

President Tatar highlighted the historical significance of Dr. Fazıl Küçük’s political stance, noting that Küçük laid the foundation of the Turkish Cypriot struggle in 1942 by asserting the presence of a distinct people on the island.

He emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot people continue to fight for a just settlement based on sovereignty and equal rights.

Tatar underlined that Turkish Cypriots have a noble past and, as an independent Turkish state, hold equal rights to the Eastern Mediterranean alongside the Greek Cypriots.

Regarding the upcoming 5+1 informal Cyprus meeting in Geneva on March 17-18, hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Tatar stated that any new agreement must be based on the cooperation of two states.

He argued that a federal solution aims to remove Türkiye from the island, a position openly advocated by the Greek Cypriot leadership.

Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, in his address, described Dr. Fazıl Küçük as not only a politician but also a visionary leader who served as the voice of his people. He highlighted the significance of the symposium in fostering a deeper understanding of the Cyprus issue and ensuring its accurate interpretation.

The event featured participants from universities, public institutions, and research centers in Türkiye, the TRNC, Azerbaijan, Germany, and Italy, with 27 academic papers set to be presented.

Following the screening of a short film on Dr. Fazıl Küçük, Mehmet Akay Küçük, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dr. Fazıl Küçük Foundation, stressed the importance of passing on Dr. Küçük’s lifelong struggle to future generations.