President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ersin Tatar stated, “When we look at the figures, there is great success here. Because there is belief, there is patriotism, and there is the determination and resilience to overcome these disasters and walk confidently towards the future.”
President Tatar met with business representatives in Kahramanmaraş to discuss the city’s economic situation before and after the earthquake. Tatar emphasized the importance of utilizing the production and marketing capabilities of both Kahramanmaraş and TRNC, aiming to extract economic, social, and cultural values and provide prosperity to the people.
“Great success here”
In his address to the business community, President Tatar said, “Kahramanmaraş is certainly a city known for its characteristics. Here is the potential in various areas such as industry, textiles, agriculture, and aquaculture. In utilizing all the possibilities in our hands together, how we can derive economic, social, and cultural values, and how we can provide welfare to our people when all these values come together; this is our duty. We are currently living in an age where global warming, the difficulties brought by it, competition, the war in Ukraine, the pandemic, events in Gaza, piracy at sea, and increases in energy costs all make our work even more challenging. At this point, in the last five years, from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine and the increases in energy costs, the effects of the earthquake on industry and production have made it so difficult to exist. When we look at the numbers, there is great success here. Because there is belief, there is patriotism, and there is the determination and resilience to overcome these disasters and walk confidently towards the future.”
“Investment can be made in TRNC’s national defense industry”
Calling for the use of both Kahramanmaraş and TRNC’s production and marketing opportunities, Tatar said, “It is the duty of businessmen and tradesmen to evaluate all these possibilities together to extract economic, social, and cultural values and provide the highest level of welfare when all these values come together. Now, serious work is being done in the national defense industry with the instructions of the President. In the upcoming periods, investments can be made in national defense systems in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”
“Here there is history and heroism”
Expressing his belief that the city will become a tourism and cultural center with investments following the earthquake, President Tatar said, “Kahramanmaraş is an ancient city, and with your support and the projects carried out in a short time, with the transformation projects, the city is showing that it can revive with its history, culture, and the experiences it has left behind. By emerging even stronger than the ruins left by the earthquake on February 6, the new understanding that will emerge from here can turn Kahramanmaraş into a tourism center both economically and industrially, as well as in agriculture. There is history here, there is heroism, and I express my belief that with your heroism on February 6, new prosperous tomorrows will be captured here. I congratulate you all again, and I wish the 104th anniversary of Kahramanmaraş’s liberation to be auspicious. May Allah have mercy on those who lost their lives on February 6, patience and condolences to all of you.”
Kahramanmaraş