The late leader of the Republican Turkish Party Özker Özgür and the late Secretary General of the National Unity Party SalihMiroğlu were remembered today on the 16thanniversary of their deaths.  

The two had passed away on the same day 16 years ago.

The first ceremony was held for Özker Özgürwho served both as Deputy Prime Minister and the leader of the Republican Turkish Party as well as deputy at the TRNC legislative assembly.

He was also the founding member of the United Cyprus Party.

Speaking during the ceremony Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu said that he had met with the late Özker Özgür a short period before his death and pointed to his honest personality and noted that Özgür was a person who fought for his beliefs.

A similar ceremony was held shortly afterwards for the late politician Salih Miroğluwho had served as the General Secretary of the National Unity Party (UBP) and as a cabinet minister.

Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu also said a few words during the ceremony.

Pointing to the interest shown by the late Miroğlu for politics, Sucuoğlu praised Miroğlufor his skills as a doctor and noted that he had worked to better serve the people in the field of health.

President Ersin Tatar for his part said that he had learnt a lot from the late Miroğlu and added that Miroğlu had emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot people’s struggle for independence, freedom and their existence should be done in accordance with the realities of Cyprus.

“The message we want to give to the world from here is that Turkish Cypriots can have different views regarding Cyprus but that the time has come for the Turkish Cypriot people’s struggle to live in this land on the basis of equality to be accepted.”

The ceremony ended with flowers being placed on Miroğlu’s grave.