In his address to the nation, President Mehmet Ali Talat said that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was the highest expression of the Turks of Cyprus’s right to self determination.
The President also reminded that the Turkish Cypriots have been waging a peace and freedom struggle for more than 50 years.
Pointing out that much has been achieved during those 50 years; Talat said that the people of the TRNC have been exerting a superhuman effort to stand strong in the face of the injustices committed against them, particularly by the international community which continues to impose unjust embargoes against them.
Stating that the goal of creating a federal Cyprus aimed at unifying the two peoples on the island was embraced by the TRNC’s declaration of independence, President Talat said that the TRNC, contrary to claims by the Greek Cypriot leadership, was not established with the aim of partitioning the island.
“Despite all our goodwill, we continue to feel the disappointment of being unable to achieve international recognition for the TRNC and to transform it into a contemporary state, one which can freely exercise international relations with other countries” he said.
President Talat pointed out that the ultimate mission of the TRNC was to establish the rightful place of the Turkish Cypriots within the international community.
Talat added that he and his team were putting forward an intense yet silent and cautious effort to reach a lasting and just solution to the Cyprus Problem.
Talat also pointed out that he witnessed from time to time attempts to associate the TRNC with those who opposed a solution.
He said it was wrong to perceive the TRNC as an entity which was opposed to peace and solution in Cyprus as well as integration with the rest of the world.
