National Unity Party marks 46th birthday
THE National Unity Party (UBP) celebrated its 46th birthday on Monday evening with an event at the Elysium Park in Lefkoşa.
Prime Minister and UBP leader Ersan Saner, and President and former UBP leader Ersin Tatar spoke at the event.
Mr Tatar said that the “UBP is the strongest and most rooted party of the TRNC” and that the “message being given tonight is that the UBP will come to govern by itself”.
“As the President, I have to be impartial, but can a person hide what is in his heart, in his own soul?” he said.
“I thank the members of UBP for giving me the honour to address you as the fifth President of our country, having initially started my political career as an MP with the UBP.”
Referring to the UBP leadership vote, which is due to take place in two weeks’ time, and the next general election, Mr Tatar said: “I wish the best for the TRNC and the UBP.”
Mr Tatar defended his “work to further contacts and strengthen ties with Turkey” and numerous recent visits there, saying that the invitations he has received to attend events in Turkey are a “very important sign of the warmth and love felt by the Turkish nation to the Turkish Cypriots”.
He added that while UBP members are
“very happy” with these visits, there are “some circles in the TRNC” who are not.
“Only members of the UBP and a President who comes from there, albeit an independent one, can establish such relations [with Turkey],” he stressed.
Mr Saner, in his speech, said that the UBP has brought “social, economic and political rights” to the TRNC.
He also said that the UBP will “continue to develop our relations with motherland Turkey” and that “we will never give up Turkey’s active and effective guarantee” in Cyprus.