Turkish Cyprus celebrates foundation anniversary
ISTANBUL
The 36th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Cyprus will be celebrated on Nov. 15.
“We will continue to follow values of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of Republic of Turkey,” Mustafa Akıncı, President of Turkish Cyprus, said while speaking to Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation.
"As Atatürk pointed out, the common goal of humanity should be to establish peace at home and in the world and stop the arms race," Akıncı noted.
"It is essential to be astonished by the way that the Great Leader (Mustafa Kemal Atatürk), who says, science is the most reliable guide in everything in the world, in life and for success" Akıncı added.
Speaking about Cyprus issue, he stressed the Turkish Cypriots will never accept threats to their freedom, originality, equality and security.
Akıncı pointed out that the approach of punishing the Turkish Cypriot side did not help resolve the issue in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Turkish Cypriots have no choice but to seek their rights.
President Akıncı noted that he will be meeting with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades at a trilateral meeting in Berlin on the 25th of November.
"We will go there for the establishment of a future which we will have political equality, security and freedom. We will be there with a constructive manner and will claim our legitimate rights to the end. I hope this meeting will be beneficial," Akıncı said.
Turkey, as a guarantor nation for the Turkish Cyprus, is currently carrying out hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean with two drilling vessels, Fatih and Yavuz, along with Oruç Reis and Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa seismic vessels in the same region.
Turkey has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administration's unilateral drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting that the Turkish Cypriots also has rights to the resources in the area.
Ersin Tatar, the prime minister of Turkish Cyprus, also released a statement marking the 36th foundation anniversary.
Tatar highlighted the Turkish Cypriots' struggle, with the support of Turkey, for maintaining their own identity on the island.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kudret Özersay also said: "TRNC is the most important symbol of the Turkish Cypriots' right to determine their own future."
The Turkish Cyprus was established on 15 Nov. 1983 to prevent the eastern Mediterranean island's annexation by Greece and to protect its Turkish population.
The “Annan Plan”, put forward by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was put to a referendum on both sides of the island by then-leaders Rauf Denktas and Tasos Papadopoulos in 2004.
While the plan was rejected by more than 75 percent of the Greek side, 65 percent of the island's Turks approved it despite the many hardships it would entail.
Despite the failure of the plan, the EU admitted the Greek side with full membership totally ignoring the existence of the other half of the island.
Numerous negotiations opened from 2005 to 2016 also failed.
The latest attempt to resolve the Cyprus dispute, held with the participation of the guarantor countries -- Turkey, Greece, and the U.K. -- came to an end without any progress in 2017 in Switzerland.
