President Ersin Tatar attended the ceremony held in front of Nicosia Atatürk Monument on the occasion of the 84th anniversary of the passing of the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic.

The commemoration ceremony started with the placing of wreaths to the monument at 09:00 a.m. according to the protocol order. At 09:05 a.m., the passing time of Atatürk, a moment of silence was held across the country, accompanied by sirens.
After the flags were lowered at half-mast along with the National Anthem, the Memorial Special Book was signed.

President Ersin Tatar’s notes in the Memorial Special Book is as follows:

“Dear Atatürk,
As the Chief Commander of the Turkish nation, the War of Independence, and the founder of the Motherland - Republic of Türkiye, we commemorate you with the deepest respect, longing and reverence on the 84th anniversary of your passing into eternity. While continuing to be committed with a great sense of responsibility and determination to the principles, values and mission you inherited to us, the Turkish Cypriots, who adopt the slogan of freedom and independence that most concisely expresses our nation's thousands of years of history and values, defends its sovereignty, freedom and honourable future with great courage and does not hesitate for a moment in pursuing your thoughts and principles. We continue to work with determination and faith towards the goal of rising the level of contemporary civilisations in our state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which will soon celebrate its 39th anniversary.

Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,
We commemorate you, your comrades-in-arms and all the heroes of the War of Independence with greater respect, love and mercy every day.”

Later, a plaque describing the importance of the Nicosia Kyrenia Gate Atatürk Statue for the Turkish Cypriots was assembled on the monument by the Presidency as part of the 10th November Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Commemoration Ceremony.


The text on the plate read by the President’s Private Secretary Çağın Zort is as follows;


“NICOSIA
KYRENIA GATE (VETERAN) ATATÜRK STATUE
This Monumental Atatürk Statue was sent as a gift from Türkiye in 1963 upon the insistent request of the Turkish Cypriots, and was inaugurated on 29th October 1963 on its current location. In response to the Greek Cypriots erecting the statues of Makarios and Greek Cypriot administrators in different parts of the island, the Turkish Cypriots also wished to put up the statue of Atatürk. With the financial and moral support of the institutions and the Turkish Cypriots, and through the Türkiye Balıkesir Atatürk Monument Construction Association, 3 metres and 60 cm Atatürk Monument was made by the sculptor Hüseyin Gezer. Greek Cypriots reacted to the Kyrenia Gate Atatürk Statue being brought to the island and threatened to bomb it while it was being moved from Limassol to Nicosia. After the statue, which was brought to Nicosia overland under protection by TMT, was placed where it is standing now and it was guarded by the Mujahideen until 21st December 1963 in case of the Greek Cypriot sabotage.
On the morning of December 22nd, 1963, the EOKAist police officers, who entered the Turkish region of Nicosia with armoured vehicles, bombarded the Atatürk Monument with machine guns. Therefore, our Nicosia Kyrenia Gate Atatürk Statue is considered to be “Veteran” monument and bullet marks are still visible on the statue.
The Turkish Cypriots participated in the inauguration of the Atatürk Statue on October 29th, 1963, in a festive atmosphere.

The Turkish Cypriot people crowned their glorious struggle with the power they received from Atatürk, the Atatürk Statue and the Motherland Türkiye. Since 1963, the shadow of Atatürk and the Atatürk Monumental Statue has been a light to the Turkish Cypriots.

As though has moved the ground
Oh my god what a joy, what an excitement it has been
Before our eyes is Atatürk
In his civil clothes
Wearing a graceful coat
So handsome, so charming
Looking and smiling
At Turkish Cypriots… (from Özker Yaşın)                                     
                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                     10 November 2022
This text was prepared and placed by the Presidency of the TRNC on November 10th, 2022.”

As well as President Ersin Tatar, the ceremony was attended by Parliamentary Speaker Zorlu Töre, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Narin Ferdi Şefik, 2nd President Mehmet Ali Talat, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Nicosia Ali Murat Başçeri, Commander of the Cyprus Turkish Peace Forces Major General Sezai Öztürk, Commander of the Security Forces Major General Zorlu Topaloğlu, CTP Leader Tufan Erhürman, 28th Division Commander Major General Fethi Oltulu, 39th Division Commander Brigadier General Hasan Paçalı, Deputy Prime Minister- Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Minister Fikri Ataoğlu, ministers, political party officials, association representatives and students.