President Ersin Tatar on Wednesday said that Güzelyurt was part of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and that the people of Güzelyurt will never be forced to move ever again.

Speaking during a foundation laying ceremony of the National Struggle Museum in Güzelyurt, the president said that attempts were being made to impose a federal settlement on the Turkish Cypriot people.

He said that the aim of such attempts was to weaken the foundations of the TRNC.

“We have never given up on Güzelyurt and we shall continue to invest in the region,” he said.

Tatar also said that there was no going back from the current position in favour of a two-state solution.

He pointed out that the Turkish Cypriot people were just as sovereign as the Greek Cypriot people on the island of Cyprus.

“The TRNC will continue to exist forever. The current economic problems we are experiencing are temporary but what is important is that we uphold and maintain the existence of the state,” he said.

The president also highlighted the significance of the TRNC for Turkey’s strategic interests in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“No one has the strength to sever our ties with Turkey. We shall continue to wage our national struggle hand in hand with Turkey,” he said.

Also speaking the Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Ali Murat Başçeri said that the welfare of the Turkish Cypriot people was Turkey’s redline.

He said that the Greek Cypriot side, through false news reports, was attempting to create the perception that Ankara had acted against the interests and welfare of the Turkish Cypriot people in Crans Montana in 2017.

“These claims are false and are not in touch with the realities. It must not be forgotten, the talks in Crans Montana collapsed because of the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo. Nevertheless the developments in Switzerland are no longer relevant as the time to hold talks for a federal settlement are over,” Başçeri said.