President Ersin Tatar on Wednesday met with business people at a meeting organized by the Turkish-German Employers’ Association within the framework of his contacts in Berlin.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu and Türkiye’s Ambassador to Berlin Ahmet Başar Şen also attended the meeting.
Remzi Kaplan, President of the Turkish-German Employers’ Association, expressed the readiness of Turkish businesspersons based in Berlin, to invest in the TRNC.
He also provided information about the activities they carry out in Germany, where 3.5 million Turks live.
Mehmet Ali Dim, President of the Global Journalists Council, stated that they are putting forth every effort to promote the TRNC.
Hüseyin Baraner, Secretary General of the World Sister Cities Tourism Forum, reminded that when Turks first came to Germany, they generally worked as labourers in factories, but today owned their own factories and have become employers.
Ahmet Başar Şen, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Germany, emphasized the great importance of the Cyprus cause for the Turkish nation and expressed Ankara’s support to President Ersin Tatar’s two-state solution model.
Ambassador Şen expressed hope that the TRNC will one day receive recognition and its deserved place, stating that strengthening the TRNC is among their priorities.
Also speaking, the Minister of Tourism and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu said that they strive to promote the country in the best possible way at the ITB Berlin fair held every year and emphasized that they put forth every effort to develop the country’s tourism facing unjust embargoes.
Ataoğlu emphasized that Türkiye, as it is in all areas, is also by the side of the Turkish Cypriot people in tourism, and called on business people in Germany to come to the TRNC and contribute to the development of the sector.
President Ersin Tatar for his part pointed out that nearly 5 million tourists visit the TRNC from Germany every year and called on Turkish business people in Germany to contribute to the further development of the country’s tourism.
Tatar pointed out that despite the obstacles, the TRNC continued on its path with the support of Türkiye, emphasizing its rich history and heritage.
Referring to the visit of German President Frank Walter Steinmeier to the Greek Cypriot side in February, Tatar said, “They may not recognize us, but this is their shame. Despite saying yes to the Annan plan, we continue to suffer from unjust embargoes.”
Tatar said that the German president should have also made it his priority to hold contacts and meetings with Turkish Cypriot officials as the island did not solely belong to Greek Cypriots.
He said that Mr Steinmeier should acknowledge the realities on the island which is that there are two separate peoples and two separate states in Cyprus.
President Tatar stressed that Turkish Cypriots will never give up on their vision of a two-state solution, and added that the TRNC was paramount for Türkiye’s security in the Mediterranean.
Pointing out that that the presence of Turkish troops on the island and Türkiye’s guarantees were red lines for the Turkish Cypriot side, Tatar said that it was out of the question to abandon either.
President Tatar added that as the TRNC, they wanted to establish closer relations with Germany.