While Türkiye is trying to recover from last month’s devastating earthquakes, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) continues to extend its support in any way possible.
Within the framework of these efforts, a delegation from the Legislative Assembly of the TRNC visited the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) to express its support and condolences on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot people.
The delegation was recieved by the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Mustafa Şentop who expressed his gratitude for the support shown by the TRNC.
A delegation from the TRNC parliament made up of Parliamentary Speaker Zorlu Töre, Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Fazilet Özdenefe, National Unity Party (UBP) MPs Yasemin Öztürk, Hasan Küçük and Republican Turish Party MP Şifa Çolakoğlu, the TRNC Ambassador to Ankara İsmet Korukoğlu and Parliament’s Executive Secretary İrem Uygun Soyşen was in the Turkish capital Ankara to convey the Turkish Cypriot people’s support to the Turkish nation.
The Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Mustafa Şentop who received the delegation expressed his gratitude to the solidarity and support shown by the Turkish Cypriot people.
Şentop also expressed his condolences for the 49 TRNC citizens who died in the earthquake disaster.
“We are extremely grateful to the TRNC which sent its search and rescue teams followed by tons of aid and assistance. We have started to heal our wounds. It will be a difficult and long process but we will get there,” he added.
Also touching upon the recent elections in South Cyprus, Şentop said that a new leadership was elected on the Greek Cypriot side.
“Our hope and desire is for the Greek Cypriots to assess and accept a solution in line with President Ersin Tatar’s new vision which acknowledges the existence of two seperate states and peoples and which protects the equal sovereign rights of Turkish Cypriots,” he added.
Şentop repeated that Ankara fully supports the TRNC under all conditions.
Pointing out that the meeting of the Parlamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TÜRKPA) will be held in Ankara on April 28, Şentop said that he had invited the TRNC’s parliamentary delegation to the meeting as part of its status as an observer state.
“TÜRKPA is extremely important for the TRNC’s international recognition. We will continue to seek support for the TRNC’s recognition which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had voiced at the last UN General Assembly,” he added.
For his part, TRNC Parliamentary Speaker Zorlu Töre said that the Turkish Cypirot people who are part of the Turkish nation, shared Türkiye’s sorrow, grief and pain.
Pointing out that 35 TRNC citizens had perished under the collapsed building of the İsias Hotel, Töre said that legal action had been launched and that the hotel’s four owners had been arrested.
Töre said that the TRNC’s support to Türkiye will continue.
He also expressed his condolences for those who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to the survivors.