President Ersin Tatar has called on other countries, especially the UK as a guarantor country, not to drag Cyprus into the tragic events unfolding in Gaza.
President Tatar, who is continuing his contacts in Türkiye, visited Çanakkale today.
Speaking to reporters in Çanakkale, Türkiye, President Ersin Tatar expressed his happiness over his visit to Çanakkale on the historic occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye and conveyed the greetings of the Turkish Cypriot people.
Noting that the Battle of Çanakkale was remembered in Turkish history for its great resistance and victory, Tatar paid tribute to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades who displayed great resistance.
He stressed that the Çanakkale Victory was one of the great victories that laid the foundations of the Turkish Republic, and expressed the view that Türkiye in its new century, will become even stronger, providing greater support for the TRNC and other Turkic states.
Tatar stated that Türkiye supports the rightful voice of the Turkish Cypriot people and mentioned that just like in Çanakkale, an epic was being written in the TRNC, and the Turkish Cypriot people, who are an inseparable part of the Turkish nation, continued to act as representatives of a Turkish state in the Eastern Mediterranean.
He emphasized the indispensability of cooperation between the TRNC and the Republic of Türkiye in tourism, education, and all other areas.
Regarding the attacks on Gaza, President Ersin Tatar expressed his sorrow, stating that these attacks are a source of sadness and what is being done is unacceptable.
Expressing his concern about the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza and emphasizing the need for these attacks to stop as soon as possible, President Ersin Tatar offered his condolences to the Palestinian people and supported the calls made by the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Regarding the question about the deployment of German special forces in South Cyprus, Tatar reminded that Türkiye as a guarantor country must be informed and consulted on such matters in advance. He pointed out that unilateral actions are not the right approach.
Tatar also underlined that the United Kingdom, as a guarantor country, has military bases on the island, but he stressed that the UK and other countries should not involve Cyprus in the ongoing conflict.