Reception marks 41st anniversary of Proclamation of TRNC
Ambassador of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Dilsad Senol Friday evening hosted a reception to celebrate the 41st anniversary of the proclamation of the TRNC at Serena Hotel.
Among the noted guests included Coordinator to the PM & Head of the PM Performance Delivery Unit, Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, Ambassador of Turkiye Irfan Neziroglu, Senator Talha Mahmood, Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kistafin, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Dr Shahzad Waseem, Senator Sitara Ayaz, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, DG Afghanistan, Iran and Türkiye Division MoFA, Mohammad Aamir Khan and others.
Besides, a large number of the Turkish and the Turkish Cyprian citizens, diplomats, parliamentarians, members of the business community and academia attended the reception and congratulated Ambassador Senol and the TRNC citizens on the joyous occasion. The ceremony started with national anthems of the two countries and a cake was also cut.
A documentary depicting rich tourism potential and highlighting the substantial progress the TRNC has achieved in various domains, including democracy, economy, social equality, and human rights was also screened on the occasion.
In her welcome address, Ambassador Senol highlighted her country’s epic journey towards freedom, sovereignty, and self-determination saying the TRNC stands at the forefront of the Eastern Mediterranean in higher education and tourism.
It is time the world should acknowledge the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as a sovereign country and respect the sacrifices of its martyrs, she said.
As already an observer member of the Organization of Islamic Countries as well as Economic Cooperation Organization, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus lastly joined hands and hearts with the Organization of Turkic States in 2022, which is a rising international actor, she said.
“Established in 1983, the TRNC has remained steadfast in preserving peace and stability on the island, supported by Turkiye,” said Dilsad Senol expressing gratitude to Pakistan for unwavering support.
She particularly mentioned the unresolved Cyprus issue which “has cast a shadow over these achievements and regretted that decades of the United Nations-mediated negotiations for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation had failed largely due to the Greek Cypriot side’s reluctance to share power and resources.
This stalemate, compounded by international isolations imposed on Turkish Cypriots, has perpetuated inequality and frustration, Dilsad Senol said.
“The Greek Cypriot administration continues to obstruct our international engagement in sports, education, and humanitarian fields, while promoting anti-Turkish sentiments,” she said adding those recent provocations, including military installations in the buffer zone and airspace violations, further complicated prospects for peace.
The TRNC leadership has presented a new vision for resolving the Cyprus issue i.e. acceptance of two sovereign states. This approach aligned with calls from Turkiye, whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged the international community at the 79th UN General Assembly to end persecution of the people of the TRNC and acknowledge its sovereignty and end the unjust isolations, she recalled.
“As Turkish Cypriots celebrate their Republic Day, they reiterate their call for justice. It is time for the world to recognize the reality of two states on the island and to lift the inhumane isolations against the Turkish Cypriot people,” Ambassador Senol declared, extending gratitude to Turkiye and Pakistan for their unwavering support.
