The occupying leader expressed new complaints about the visit of Pope Francis to Cyprus.
According to the Review of the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot Press by the Press and Information Office, the illegitimate Bayrak (15.12.21, brtk.net) broadcast that the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar wondered how a spiritual leader like Pope Francis Cyprus ", as he characterized the Democratically controlled areas of the island, in the name of humanity, peace and consensus and to meet only with the Christian community in a country where there is disagreement.
Speaking during a conference on the Koran organized by the regime's so-called presidency of religious affairs at the Hala Sultan Mosque, Tatar said the following was an invitation he had sent to the Pope:
"[…] He considered saying 'hello' to us a lot. Yes, we are Muslims, we are Turks of Cyprus. I sent him a very sincere invitation. I said 'come and meet with us and the head of religious affairs'. By visiting only southern Cyprus and saying 'I met with Turkish Cypriots' is an injustice done to us. We never accept that.
We have elected authorities, a head of religious affairs appointed by the state. Whether a meeting will take place officially, the authorities are known. After all, this struggle has been going on for centuries. In order for the Turkish Cypriot people to exist, it is very important to raise people with faith, character, devotion to religion, who have been educated in a way that the time demands and are ready to serve their people and based on that it is very beneficial to become such. meetings to convey to this point the perception of society
The message that will be given to the society is the following: The Turkish Cypriot people are not alone. He has the will and the faith to continue his existence in this country with his national conscience, his spirituality and his culture. As the chair of religious affairs you have the opportunity to address the people on various occasions. All these speeches must be heard, taken into account […] Such meetings are extremely important for strengthening the bonds between us. I want to say that it should not be forgotten that it has very important and dignified representatives in this geographical area and the Turkish Cypriot people who are an integral part of the Turkish nation […] "
Tatar also claimed that the Turkish Cypriot "people" are being attacked in the spiritual sense in order to disappear from the island, but the "TRNC" continues to exist and be strengthened despite all the difficulties. Arguing that the Cyprus issue should be considered in this regard as well, Tatar said that they are all fighting together for the survival and existence of the "TRNC".
Claiming that international agreements have enshrined the existence of two separate peoples, cultures, structures and democracies in the country, Tatar argued that spirituality is important to further strengthen them.