CHP Leader Özgür Özel Visits TRNC President Ersin Tatar: “We Embrace Cyprus as a Whole”

CHP Leader Özgür Özel: “It Is Time to Talk About Unity, Not Divisions”

Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP) Leader Özgür Özel emphasized that the party embraces Cyprus as a whole. He stated, “We embrace Cyprus as a whole. We believe it is extremely important that the strong message given by the Turkish Grand National Assembly to the world yesterday is also conveyed in Cyprus, both by the government and the opposition. Today is the time to talk about unity rather than divisions, to focus on common interests rather than differences between the TRNC and Turkey. That is why we are here all together.”

During his visit to Northern Cyprus to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, CHP Leader Özgür Özel met with TRNC President Ersin Tatar. Expressing his gratitude for the reception, Özel said, “We are here with our former party leaders, including Önder Sav, who was a minister during the Peace Operation and signed the decision, and Ayşe Güneş Ayata, the daughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as our party’s Vice Presidents for Foreign Relations, our Secretary-General, and a strong delegation representing our party, including some of our youngest members. We are here with you and by your side.” Özel highlighted that his visit to Northern Cyprus was his first international visit since becoming the party leader:

“In Abroad, We Are The Party Of Turkey”

“At that time, we were with you. I had also stated that we would have many contacts abroad. We are the main opposition party in Turkey. The people entrusted us with this role, and we will continue to carry out this duty until a new mandate is given. However, abroad, we are Turkey’s party. In all our interactions with organizations like the Socialist International, led by Pedro Sanchez of Spain, where I serve as Vice President, the European Socialist Party, which is the umbrella organization for all leftist and social democratic parties in Europe, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where we hold official roles, we have consistently highlighted the injustices faced by the TRNC, the reward given to the side that did not approve the Annan Plan, and the risks faced by the side that did, including the late Rauf Denktaş. We have also collectively paid the price for being deprived of the valuable experiences of individuals who were told, ‘Why are you here in Turkey, if you want to hold rallies, do it in Cyprus.’

However, it must be stated that as the CHP, the legacy left by our party’s founder, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, that Turkey’s security and interests cannot be separated from Cyprus, and the principles upheld by our second President and General Chairman İsmet İnönü regarding the negotiations are a constant reminder. We always advocate that Turkey should not be a party to any negotiations where its guarantor rights are not recognized or are excluded.”

CHP Leader Özgür Özel: “It Is Time to Talk About Unity, Not Divisions”

CHP Leader Özgür Özel, in his statements abroad, emphasized that the Turkish military came to the island not for war but for peace. “The first sentence announced to Turkey and the world was that the Turkish military came to the island not for occupation but for peace. Indeed, we brought peace to the island. We explain to everyone that Turkey had the opportunity to annex the entire island, not just the 36% it controlled, but chose not to. We say that if Turkey were an occupier, it would have occupied the entire island. Turkey went there to protect its presence, its kin on the island, and to affirm a sovereignty right gained over centuries. It did no more, no less. We will continue to maintain this stance in the future.”

“We Embrace Cyprus as a Whole”

“We certainly advocate for peace and solutions. The Turkish Cypriots have issues, including problems faced by athletes, those involved in trade, and universities. We must strongly stand behind Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to overcome these difficulties. It is crucial to achieve direct trade and direct flights. Today, despite possible different solutions, we must move forward from a point that confirms the gains of Cyprus and the TRNC if a new agreement is not possible, as we heard from you and from Mr. Erhürman, whom we met this morning. Although there might be different opinions on Cyprus's internal and external politics, we embrace Cyprus as a whole. We believe it is extremely important that the strong message given by the Turkish Grand National Assembly to the world is also conveyed in Cyprus, by both the government and opposition. Today is the time to talk about unity rather than divisions, to focus on common interests rather than differences between the TRNC and Turkey. That is why we are here and together.”

“We Are in an Agreement”

“We applied for full membership to the European Union during İsmet Paşa’s time. We support this goal until the end. You may have followed that in the results statement of the Socialist International meeting held in Bucharest, all member countries expressed support for Turkey’s full EU membership, acknowledging CHP’s determination. We advocate that while resolving this issue, there should be no concessions regarding Northern Cyprus. We continue to raise this issue diplomatically and on every platform available. The unilateral inclusion of Southern Cyprus into the European Union represents a significant injustice to us. We continue to address this injustice both diplomatically and whenever we have the chance. “With the friendship, brotherhood, and determination of 50 years ago, we respectfully greet all the citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”

CHP Leader Özgür Özel posted on social media: “We visited TRNC President Mr. Ersin Tatar. It is time to focus on unity rather than divisions and on common interests rather than differences between the TRNC and Turkey. That is why we are here all together.”