The National Unity Party (UBP), Democrat Party (DP) and Rebirth Party (YDP) formally declared their joint endorsement of President Tatar as their candidate in the upcoming election, at the event that was held at the Lefkoşa Atatürk Sports Hall, under the slogan “We are Complete Together, Our Cause is One”.

 

Prime Minister Ünal Üstel briefly visited the venue at the start of the event and addressed the participants and left early due to the passing of his sister. 

 

The event was attended by DP Chairman, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu; YDP Chairman, Minister of Public Works and Transportation Erhan Arıklı, other ministers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, officials and members of the three parties and civil organisation representatives that united around “Common Sense Consensus” event.

President Tatar, who addressed the jubilant crowd who held the flags of the Republic of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, said: “I wholeheartedly welcome you all to the Common Sense Consensus event. Our path is indeed the path of sovereignty. Our path is for our State. Our Path is together with Motherland Türkiye.”

 

The President started his speech by expressing his “sincere condolences and sympathies” to Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and his family, and expressed his gratitude to Mr. Üstel, Mr. Ataoğlu and Mr. Arıklı, for putting forward such a strong unity and endorsing him jointly as their candidate in the presidential election, to be held in October.

 

Stating that the three political parties have come together under “Common Sense Consensus,” President Tatar said: “This is the path of our nation. We are standing for justice and putting forward a new vision that is based on two States, on the basis of our equal inherent rights, namely our equal international status, that is a position fully supported by Motherland and Guarantor Türkiye.”

 

“The Turkish Cypriot People have suffered in these lands for decades, sacrificing many lives in the struggle and being forced to emigrate. However, the Turkish Cypriot people never gave up or surrendered. We believed as a people in our national cause and Motherland Türkiye, and we eventually proclaimed our republic,” President Tatar said.

 

Stressing that “we are now continuing the struggle for the recognition of the TRNC and the prosperity of the Turkish Cypriot people,” President Tatar continued: “Negotiations have been held for more than 60 years on the federal basis for a comprehensive solution in Cyprus. Despite the good intention and sincere efforts of the Turkish Cypriot side, the Greek Cypriot side has many times rejected settlements on the federal basis. The latest examples of these rejections were seen in the UN Comprehensive Settlement Annan Plan, that had been rejected by 76 per cent of the Greek Cypriot People and accepted by 65 per cent of the Turkish Cypriot People, in the separately held simultaneous referenda in April 2004. Despite the promises by the international community to end our isolation and to start direct flights, direct trade and direct contacts, none of these have been honoured to date. Negotiations between the sides – which was stated on many counts to be the last and final attempt for a federal settlement, ended in failure in Crans-Montana in July 2017. All of these failures have shown that the Greek Cypriot Side does not want to share power and prosperity with the Turkish Cypriot People on the basis of equality. Negotiations on the federal basis have been tried, failed and exhausted. This is why we are saying with openness and sincerity, that the time has come to open a new page for the Island of Cyprus. A realistic and sustainable settlement that is based on two States, with sovereign equality and equal international status, can be found whereby the two sides co-exist in a cooperative relationship. It is futile in insisting on a basis of negotiations that has failed decade after decade.”

 

The President, in reference to the latest developments and arrests of people dealing with immovable properties in the TRNC by the Greek Cypriot leadership, said: “The increasing attacks and the mentality in Southern Cyprus in recent months will not discourage us. We will overcome these difficult days by preserving our unity. Our path is the path of the mujahideen; our path is the path of recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”

 

Emphasising the importance of protecting the rights and interests of Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriot People in “Blue Homeland”, President Tatar stated said: “The TRNC has significant geopolitical and geostrategic importance, and is the southern-most Turkish state, located in the eastern Mediterranean, just 40-miles from the south-coast of Türkiye. We will move forward stronger into the future with the support of Türkiye.”

 

President Tatar expressed his gratitude to the UBP, YDP and DP and to all the civil society organisations and members of the public who are supporting him.

 

The UBP General-Secretary, Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu read out a statement on behalf of Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, DP Chairman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu and YDP Chairman and Minister of Public Works and Transportation Erhan Arıklı, also addressed the participants where they expressed the unified support of the three political parties to President Ersin Tatar.