The Turkish Cypriot people are just as sovereign as the Greek Cypriots on the island of Cyprus, President Ersin Tatar said during an art exhibition he attended on Tuesday evening with First Lady Sibel Tatar.

Speaking during the event, President Ersin Tatar said that their goal was to ensure that the Turkish Cypriot people continued to exist in Cyprus.

He also said that it was their duty to preserve a Turkic state in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“The Turkish Cypriot people are just as sovereign as Greek Cypriots are in Cyprus. We have our own art, culture, history and past. Art is a universal language. There are numerous embargoes imposed on the TRNC. Great injustices are being imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people,” Tatar said.

The president complained of the Greek Cypriot side’s relentless efforts to isolate Turkish Cypriots from the international community.

“Despite all these attempts, we continue to wage our struggle to preserve and maintain our existence on this island,” he said.

Also touching upon the February 6 earthquake in Türkiye, President Ersin Tatar said that the Turkish Cypriot people had joined in solidarity to rush to the aid of their Turkish brethren.

“Following this disaster, our artists will continue to produce works that will pass on the memory of the great pain and suffering caused by this earthquake,” he concluded.