By Mehmet Kemal Firik
LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) – An international global climate change conference on Tuesday in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) addressed the future of environmental and water issues in Mediterranean countries.
At the event, TRNC President Ersin Tatar stated that at a time when global warming and other environmental issues are growing, the potential for cooperation for the island’s future is hindered by the Greek Cypriot Administration’s stubborn refusal to recognize the TRNC.
Addressing the country’s water situation, he said the problem has been solved solely through underwater pipelines coming from the motherland, Türkiye.
Tatar underlined that for the past 10 years, uninterrupted drinking and irrigation water has been supplied from Türkiye to the TRNC, calling this a blessing for the future of Cyprus.
Stressing the importance of protecting the environment and natural resources in the TRNC in the face of global climate change, Tatar said: "Every drop of water is now valuable. We must protect our riches – our greenery, blue seas, forests, environment, and agriculture – in the face of rising global warming in this world.”
“While the world is heading towards a major disaster in this context, great efforts are also underway on the other hand. We must work together with the motherland and the Turkish world,” he added.
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkosa Yasin Ekrem Serim said that in addition to minimizing the negative impact of climate change on the energy sector, there is also a need for the effective and efficient use of available energy resources during this period.
Highlighting that every step taken in the fight against climate change is an investment in humanity and the future, Serim added that efforts to improve air quality are supporting the goal of enabling the Turkish Cypriot people to breathe healthier air.
TRNC Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism, Culture, Environment, Youth and Environment Minister Fikri Ataoglu and other officials attended the conference.
- Decades-long Cyprus problem
Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.
In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was founded in 1983.
It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece, and the UK.
The Greek Cypriot administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots single-handedly blocked a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.
*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul