The Turkish War Veterans Association is carrying out a variety of contacts in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Within the framework of its visits the association was received by President Ersin Tatar and Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu respectively.

Speaking during the visit President Tatar said that they were trying to strengthen the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in an environment where peace and tranquillity has been achieved in the Eastern Mediterranean.

According to information given by the Presidency, President Tatar expressed his pleasure at seeing the veterans who came to our country during the 1974 Peace Operation and expressed his gratitude to the veterans by saying “it is impossible for us to forget your efforts.”

Pointing to the importance of the past struggle waged in the country, Tatar emphasized the significance of the island of Cyprus, where different civilizations lived.

“Our ancestors are from the Ottoman Empire,” said Tatar and touched upon the historical process that the Turkish Cypriots have lived through.

Reminding that every effort has been made to isolate and eliminate the Turkish Cypriots from the island, President Tatar explained that the attacks carried out by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo were all aimed at connecting the island to Greece.

He said that Turkiye, as a guarantor country used its right of unilateral intervention that was granted to it through the 1960 treaties which is in line with international law.

Stating that the Turkish Cypriot people, who were pushed out of the state by force of arms, have the right to establish their own state according to UN conventions as the equal founding partner of the Republic of Cyprus, President Tatar reiterated that their aim is to strengthen the TRNC state.

Noting that the talks for a federation were inconclusive, Tatar said that the decision to unilaterally admit South Cyprus into the European Union upset the balance of the scales.

Stating that it would not be possible for the Turkish Cypriots to continue their existence on the island under such a roof as the Republic of Turkiye is not an EU member, President Tatar emphasized that the Turkish Cypriots would never accept Turkiye leaving the island and having ‘zero soldiers, zero guarantees’.

Expressing the importance of protecting the rights and law in the Eastern Mediterranean together with motherland Turkiye, Tatar noted that there can only be an agreement with the cooperation of two independent states living side by side.

Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu also received the Turkish War Veterans Association and the Cyprus Peace Operation and Battlefields Veterans.

Gifts were exchanged to commemorate the visit.