Retired Lieutenant General Zekai Aksakallı, former Commander of the Special Forces of the Turkish General Staff, who also served as the Head of the Civil Defense Organization in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is carrying out a variety of contacts in the TRNC.

Aksakallı was received by President Ersin Tatar and Speaker of Parliament Zorlu Töre respectively.

President Ersin Tatar received the retired Lieutenant General Zekai Aksakallı, who also served as the Head of the Civil Defense Organization in the TRNC.

The Speaker of Parliament Zorlu Töre received the retired Lieutenant General Zekai Aksakallı at the Hall of Honour at parliament.

Speaking during the visit Töre reminded that Aksakallı has held very critical positions in both the TRNC and motherland Türkiye and stated that the Turkish Cypriot people and the Turkish nation see him as a hero, especially for his role in preventing the July 15 coup attempt in Türkiye.

Noting that the Turkish Nation and the TRNC state and its independence are of vital importance; Töre said that the United Nations continues to repeat the mistakes it had made in the past.

Also touching upon the Yiğitler-Pile road project, Töre reminded that the purpose of the road construction is purely humanitarian, aimed at easing the time needed to travel between villages and added that the area in question is within TRNC territory.

Stating that the UN is taking sides on the issue, Töre emphasized that the road construction will never be abandoned, otherwise the Turkish Cypriots will come face to face with compromising on sovereignty.

“We did not take over the TRNC state from the UN Peacekeeping Force soldiers,” Töre said, adding that the TRNC state was established with the struggle of martyrs and veterans.