20.07.2024 17:10
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who came to the TRNC to attend the official ceremonies organized on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, met with CHP leader Ozgur Ozal and MHP leader Devlet Bahceli for lunch after the ceremonies. Ozal stated that politics was not discussed during the meeting and expressed his dissatisfaction with Turkey's Ambassador to Nicosia, Metin Feyzioglu, saying, "We could not see the ambassador at the airport. This is due to not coming from this profession. We will convey our discomfort to the Ministry."
The leader of the CHP, Özgür Özel, who attended the official ceremonies held in Northern Cyprus on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the "Peace Operation", had a meal with President Erdoğan and MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli. Özel stated that his conversations with the President were about the Cyprus issue and expressed his reaction to Turkey's Ambassador to Nicosia, Metin Feyzioğlu, who did not welcome him.
THE STATE AUTHORITIES ARE FULLY PRESENT IN CYPRUS
A formal commemoration program was held today in Nicosia, the capital of the TRNC, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmuş, CHP leader Özgür Özel, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, İYİ Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu, Rebirth Party leader Fatih Erbakan and Great Unity Party leader Mustafa Destici attended the program.
ERDOĞAN CAME TO THE HOTEL WHERE ÖZEL STAYED
After the official ceremonies, President Erdoğan came to the hotel where CHP leader Özel had been staying in Nicosia for the past two days. Erdoğan had bilateral meetings here. President Erdoğan met with TRNC President Ersin Tatar and Prime Minister Ünal Üstel. After President Erdoğan, MHP leader Bahçeli and Speaker of the Parliament Kurtulmuş also came to the hotel. Cabinet members accompanied Erdoğan. A few minutes after Erdoğan and his delegation, CHP leader Özgür Özel entered the hotel.
President Erdoğan held meetings at the hotel for about half an hour. Then, Erdoğan, Özel, and Bahçeli came together at the lunch organized. The closed-door meal lasted about an hour.
ÖZEL EXPLAINS THE MEETING
After the leaders' meeting at lunch, Özel made a statement, saying, "First, courtesy sentences were spoken, of course, we asked about each other's well-being. Then, we made evaluations about Cyprus. I informed them about our intense contacts in Cyprus for the past 3 days and our delegation. We had conversations about our delegation, which includes names that have left their mark on Turkish politics in the past. There were evaluations regarding the joint declaration prepared by the Parliament and accepted unanimously. There were extremely polite contacts in line with the unity and solidarity spirit formed here, which is suitable for the 50th year."
Özel stated that they did not talk about daily politics and said, "There was an application of a blacklist where 18 out of more than 100 citizens were turned back from the border gate from Turkey. Thousands of citizens were worried about coming to Turkey because of their social media posts, wondering if something would happen to them. I think this practice should end from today, on the occasion of the 50th year. I will also express the widespread expectation here for this issue to be resolved as soon as possible. Other than that, we did not have a very intense agenda. We had a very positive agenda, which was Cyprus, the independence and future of the people in Cyprus. It was the happiness of Cyprus."
"WE CAN NEGOTIATE AND MEET WHEN NECESSARY"
When asked if there is a possibility of meeting with President Erdoğan again in the near future, Özel replied, "Not at the moment, but for example, on October 29th or at the opening of the Parliament, when they come to the Parliament, we can be there. I had previously stated that we will participate in the Republic Day reception on October 29th. After the local elections, it is necessary to keep these dialogue channels open between the ruling party and the opposition party, and negotiate when necessary, but everyone should do their own job, they are responsible for solving the problems of the citizens.
We, as the opposition, are obliged to express the problems of the citizens and show them the right path. While I have a minimum pension of 12,500 TL, and there has been no increase in the minimum wage, while the farmers are in this situation, I will continue to raise their voices in the squares and fight for them. But when necessary, we can negotiate and meet, and when we talk about normalization, it is nothing more than that."
REACTION TO AMBASSADOR FEYZİOĞLU'S "WELCOME"
Özgür Özel, who said, "We were hosted and bid farewell in the best way by the Cypriots in Cyprus. If a mistake was made in Cyprus, it was made by the Turkish Ambassador to Cyprus," criticized Ambassador Feyzioğlu, saying, "Wherever we go in the world, our ambassadors welcome us or are present. We did not see any ambassador or official at the airport or anywhere else. This is due to not coming from this profession. It is due to not being able to accept the position. We will also convey our discomfort to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Even if this ambassador does not do it himself, he cannot make the embassy do it," he said.