The panel titled “Hellim’s journey to Europe from Past to Present” held at the Eylsium Park in Lefkoşa on Wednesday was held with the participation of officials and representatives from the Prime Ministry’s EU Coordination Centre, the TRNC Ministry of Agriculture, the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry, the Dairy Producers’ Association and the Livestock Breeders Association.

The Founding President of the Cyprus Turkish Centre for Political and Social Studies (SİTA) Özdemir Tokel who delivered the opening speech at the panel said that the PDO registration of the traditional Cypriot cheese was a great achievement but that it was important to continue the legal and political struggle for the registration of all traditional Turkish Cypriot products around the world.

The leader of the main opposition Republic Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman who also addressed the panel’s opening session said that the PDO registration of Hellim made it possible to export Turkish Cypriot Hellim, along with Fish and Honey to European markets through the Green Line Regulation.

He added that it was only possible to achieve international standards in production by opening a window to the world.

Erhürman said that major challenges in exporting Hellim cheese to the world remain, primarily due to the fact that the Greek Cypriot administration had still not signed an agreement with Bureau Veritas, the independent firm which is responsible for controls and certification of the traditional cheese produced in the TRNC.

Also speaking, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel congratulated Turkish Cypriot producers for raising the standards of Hellim production to the level where it could compete internationally.

He added that the government will continue to do all it can to help producers meet the necessary standards required for PDO certification.

Delivering the final speech at the panel, President Ersin Tatar said that Hellim exports contributed greatly to the TRNC’s economy.

He pointed out that despite the isolation and unjust embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people, Hellim exports continued to increase over the years, a success he said was attributed to the hard work of farmers, producers and livestock breeders.

The president pointed out that Turkish Cypriot dairy producers, unlike their Greek Cypriot counterparts, were still unable to export their cheese to European markets because Bureau Veritas or another firm had yet to be appointed to issue certificates to producers.

Tatar pointed out that the deliberate delays on the issue of Hellim as a result of the Greek Cypriot side’s ignorance was nothing more than an insult to the Turkish Cypriot people.

“The Turkish Cypriot people have a state and they have rights. The registration of Hellim as a PDO has earned the traditional cheese value and we are thankful for that. But we would like to state that we are also waiting for the international community to see the realities on the island,” he added.