President Ersin Tatar on Wednesday separately welcomed the leader of the main opposition party in Türkiye, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Özgür Özel, and the leader of the Welfare Party, Fatih Erbakan, who was in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) for the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Republic.
Speaking during the meetings, Tatar emphasized that the scrapping of Türkiye’s guarantees and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus was unacceptable.
He added that Türkiye will always be by the side of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
According to a statement issued by the Office of the President, President Tatar congratulated Özgür Özel on his election as the leader of the CHP and wished success to his party as well as the Republic of Türkiye.
Providing a brief background of the history of Cyprus, Tatar said that the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo attempted to transform Cyprus into a Greek island after British rule ended on the island.
However, he highlighted that the Turkish Cypriots resisted these efforts with the support of Türkiye.
Emphasizing the importance of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in organizational, economic, and political terms for the security and interests of the Republic of Türkiye in the Mediterranean, President Tatar pointed to the significance of the new policy supported by Ankara, which aims for a treaty based on cooperation between two separate states in Cyprus.
Tatar repeated the Turkish Cypriot side’s position that official negotiations cannot begin before the principles of sovereign equality and equal status are accepted.
President Tatar conveyed that Turkish Cypriots were forced into an imposed solution with unjust embargoes and expressed that the elimination of Türkiye’s guarantees and the withdrawal of troops are unacceptable.
CHP leader Özgür Özel for his part also highlighted the importance of Turkish Cypriots having their own state as a party founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Republic of Türkiye.
The CHP leader also drew attention to the international community’s insincerity and its insistence in keeping Turkish Cypriots isolated from the rest of the world.
He emphasized the importance of inviting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to international meetings and supporting its participation as an observer member.
Despite being in the opposition, Özgür Özel stated that they would continue to be constructive on matters beneficial to Türkiye and Cyprus.
The CHP leader Özgür Özel expressed his wish for the continuation of official and warm relations established with President Tatar and officials of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Later in the day, President Ersin Tatar also welcomed the delegation led by the leader of the Welfare Party, Fatih Erbakan.
In his speech during the reception, President Tatar drew attention to the fact that when the decision for the Turkish Peace Operation was taken in 1974, Necmettin Erbakan, the father of Fatih Erbakan, was the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Türkiye.
Emphasizing that Türkiye is always by the side of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Tatar explained the importance of having a Turkish state in the Eastern Mediterranean.