The 9th Tatlısu Herb Culture Festival was realized on Tuesday.
The festival, organized to introduce edible wild herbs that grow in nature and benefit human health while promoting a healthy lifestyle, featured various cultural, artistic and entertaining activities along with concerts throughout the day.
The 9th Herb Culture Festival, traditionally organized by the Tatlısu Municipality with contributions from Final Organization, was held on Tuesday in the village square.
In his speech at the event Tatlısu Mayor Hayri Orçan stated that they started organizing the festival with the slogan “Return to Nature” and stressed the importance of returning to nature and incorporating wild edible herbs from the plains into daily diets, adding that their goal is to preserve the country’s culture and introduce edible herbs to the younger generation.
He emphasized that unhealthy eating habits and stress contribute to the increase in cancer cases.
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkoşa Ali Murat Başçeri, expressed his appreciation for those who contributed to the development of the Tatlısu region, recalling that he first visited the area as a chief secretary in 2002-2003 and was pleased to see how much it had improved.
President Ersin Tatar also addressed the crowds by highlighting the importance of preserving nature, the environment and cultural heritage while developing the Tatlısu region.
He emphasized that cultural traditions passed down from generation to generation are extremely valuable.
Referring to global conflicts and challenges, he pointed out that despite global warming and decreasing rainfall, they have managed the situation well.
However, he noted that South Cyprus has been facing severe water shortages in recent months.
President Tatar also touched on the Geneva negotiations, stating that with Türkiye’s full support, they have conveyed to the Greek Cypriot side that if an agreement is reached, the country’s resources can be shared, including water from Türkiye.
He stated that it is now the Greek Cypriots’ turn to consider the proposal, expressing his belief that cooperation between the two states can lead to beneficial outcomes for the region.