President Ersin Tatar who is in Türkiye embarked on his contacts in the Turkish capital Ankara with a visit to the “Cyprus Facts” Exhibition.
He also attended the opening reception of the photo exhibition titled “Traces Unforgotten,” prepared in collaboration between the Türkiye Municipalities Union and the Union of Turkish Cypriot Municipalities.
Touring the “Cyprus Fact” exhibition at the Ankara Art Gallery and Auction House, Tatar emphasized the importance of documenting history to pass it on to future generations.
He stated that the exhibition, which should be disseminated everywhere through public diplomacy, highlights that the Cyprus issue is a national cause for Türkiye.
Discussing the new policy based on a two-state solution, Tatar explained that the current situation on the island will continue as long as the Greek Cypriot side rejects the Turkish Cypriot side’s position.
“During this period, we shall continue to work to strengthen the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC),” the president said.
The Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun for his part expressed his gratitude to President Tatar of the TRNC for his attendance at the exhibition and stated that Tatar’s involvement would enhance the exhibition’s standing among the general public on a national and international scale.
He stated that they were delighted and honoured to be hosting the exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation and that they would conduct numerous activities throughout the year to inform the national and international public about the facts of Cyprus.
Altun indicated that the “Cyprus Facts” exhibition was the first step in this direction and that they would use public diplomacy opportunities to explain the cause of the TRNC and the facts of Cyprus to the entire world and the international public, both in the TRNC and other parts of the world.
Emphasising that traces of both the atrocities and the struggle of the strong resistance against them can be observed in the exhibition, he said that they had the opportunity to present the real picture of Cyprus through newspaper clippings, magazine copies, books and other archive documents, as well as through the testimonies of people who were oppressed in Cyprus and the confessions of the oppressor. Meanwhile, President Ersin Tatar, within the scope of his contacts in Ankara, also attended the opening reception of the photo exhibition titled “Traces Unforgotten,” prepared in collaboration between the Türkiye Municipalities Union and the Union of Turkish Cypriot Municipalities.
Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, President Tatar accused the Greek Cypriot Administration of committing injustice to the cultural heritage, stating, “Our expectation from South Cyprus is the preservation of our 400-year-old heritage remaining in the south for the future.”
Touching upon the ongoing Isias hotel trial, Tatar said, “We trust Turkish justice. Of course, we share the pain of the families; I wish them patience, and I commemorate the ones who lost their lives with mercy.”
Also speaking Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, in his speech, highlighted that the Turkish-Islamic works in the south of Cyprus have not received the deserved value.
He called on international organizations, especially UNESCO, to protect the cultural heritage throughout Cyprus.
Yılmaz also mentioned ongoing efforts for Economic and Financial Cooperation between the Republic of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, stating that there would be support in many areas for the TRNC.
Regarding the İsias case, Yılmaz stated, “We trust our judiciary which is handling the matter meticulously. We will closely follow this process,” expressing condolences to those who lost their loved ones and wishing patience to the families.
The head of the Union of Turkish Cypriot Municipalities Mahmut Özçınar and his Turkish counterpart Yücel Yılmaz provided information about the exhibition in their speeches at the reception.
After the speeches, gift presentations were made.