The 30th anniversary of the establishment of the North Cyprus Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT) was celebrated with a reception held at the Girne University on Monday.
Among those attending the event was President Ersin Tatar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu
Addressing the event, President Ersin Tatar drew attention to the TRNC’s eagerness to cooperate with the international community to carry out work for humanity and the world.
Congratulating the society for its work aimed at increasing the country’s turtle population, the President said the society achieved great success with the support of the international community and the Turkish Cypriot People over the last 30 years.
Addressing the SPOT foreign student volunteers, he noted that the Eastern Mediterranean was a pearl in the world with its nature and history adding that the TRNC was working towards protecting these values.
Reminding that they proposed South Cyprus to create cooperation on the energy issue and establish a joint energy system as well as to connect Cyprus to Turkiye and Europe via cable, Tatar said such a move would be in favour of the environment as it would entail a reduction in the burning of fossil fuels.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu for his part congratulated the society for its 30 years of service.
Ataoğlu reminded that the society was creating important awareness through its work on the protection of turtles and the environment.
SPOT Board of Directors member and Rector of the Girne University Prof. Dr. İlkay Salihoğlu said the society which was established with the aim of protecting sea turtles and the environment in North Cyprus had become a prestigious society recognised internationally thanks to the contributions of various international universities, associations, environmental organizations and volunteers. Also speaking during the event, another SPOT board and Environmental Protection Researcher from the University of Exeter in the UK Prof. Dr. Brendan Godley said that it had been his honour to carry out numerous projects since the establishment of the society.