The Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly Zorlu Töre on Thursday reacted to the comments made by British High Commissioner İrfan Siddiq regarding the issue of guarantees as a representative of a guarantor country.

“The Turkish Cypriot people are free and independent today under the guarantee of their motherland, Türkiye,” Töre stressed.

The Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly Zorlu Töre received a delegation from the Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions of Türkiye on Thursday.

During the meeting, the President of the Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions of Türkiye Önder Kahveci, accompanied by the President of Memur-Sen based in the TRNC Akın Manga, stated that they always strongly believed in the independent existence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as a sovereign state and that they had been fighting to protect the interests of the Turkish Cypriot people in the international arena.

The Speaker of Parliament Töre for his part stressed that it was everyone’s duty to preserve the TRNC, which was established by the support of the motherland.

Töre also expressed his reaction to the comments made by British High Commissioner İrfan Siddiq regarding the role of guarantor countries.

“What should be questioned is the fact that the United Kingdom, located beyond the seas and oceans, maintains military bases on the island of Cyprus. Is this a continuation of imperialist and colonialist mentality? This is the real issue that needs to be questioned,” he said.

Criticizing the Greek Foreign Minister for referring to the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation as an “occupation” during his latest visit to South Cyprus, Töre stressed that it should not be forgotten that Greece was the party that repeatedly attempted to occupy the entire island of Cyprus in the past.

“The Turkish Cypriot people are free and independent today under the guarantee of their motherland, Türkiye. They live in security and have their own state. This state will continue to exist. The presence of the Turkish military is also the greatest assurance for the Turkish Cypriot people and will continue indefinitely,” Parliamentary Speaker Töre stressed.