PM Ersin Tatar: Greek President is ‘dreaming’

PRIME Minister Ersin Tatar (pictured) has said that Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou is “dreaming” if she “thinks that Greece can exclude Turkey from Cyprus and ignore the rights, and sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot people”.

He made the remarks after Ms Sakellaropoulou arrived in South Cyprus on Monday for a three-day visit, during which she said that Turkey was an “invader and occupier” of Cyprus.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay also slammed Ms Sakellaropoulou, saying that her comments were “ridiculous” and a “vain propaganda” attempt.

“The country that destroyed the partnership state in Cyprus, which was established with the 1959-60 agreements, for the sake of racist and fascist dreams, is Greece,” he said.

“It is also Greece that sent Nicos Sampson . . . to the island on July 15, 1974, staged a coup, proclaimed a ‘Hellenic Republic’ [in Cyprus], and supported all kinds of armed attacks to destroy the Turkish Cypriot people with a racist approach and to eliminate their political will.

“Turkey saved the Turkish Cypriot people from massacre by using its guarantor rights . . . and thus Turkey intervened in a completely legitimate way regarding Cyprus on July 20, 1974.

“If there has not been any war and conflict since 1974 in Cyprus, this is only thanks to Turkey. Turkey has given active support to all efforts for a solution in Cyprus so far.

“However, these efforts failed because of the attitude of the Greek Cypriot side. Greece never played a positive role in these processes, and they have made efforts to maintain the current status quo, that is, the deadlock.”