President Ersin Tatar is continuing his contacts in Turkey with a visit to the Kutahya region.

As part of his contacts, the President came together with representatives of civil society organizations.

Speaking during the visit Tatar emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot people were deeply connected to Turkey.

“Turkey is our motherland. In the struggles that have been waged since 1571, Turks and Turkish Cypriots have fallen together side by side,” said Tatar, adding that Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are waging a just struggle.

“Together with Turkey, we are trying to protect our rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean in order to maintain our existence in the best possible way. We are waging a great and sacred struggle against Greek Cypriots, the European Union, Greece and against all those who oppose us” said Tatar.

Noting that a federal settlement in Cyprus aimed to break all ties between Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Tatar said that they won’t allow for a federal settlement to take place on the island.

Tatar said that a dangerous game to turn Turkish Cypriots into a minority through the process of assimilation and to sever ties with Turkey via EU membership had been played during the five decades of talks. “We are completely bound to Turkey. It is our motherland. We will continue to explain to the world that the only way we can continue our existence on the island is through an agreement that allows two separate states to exist side by side in cooperation. Yes it is a difficult process but this is the only way we can safely move towards the future” said President Ersin Tatar.