Tatar: "Dr. Küçük Gave Hope to His People"

Tatar emphasized that during the British colonial era, following the 1923 Lausanne Agreement, when the Turkish Cypriot people faced great despair and the threat of extinction, Dr. Küçük became a beacon of hope through his courage, determination, and leadership.

Tatar highlighted that Küçük, as a doctor, was always among the people. He also acknowledged Küçük’s efforts in strengthening ties with Turkey, making frequent visits, and later, with the Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş, addressing the Cyprus issue with seriousness in Turkey.

Referring to the support given by the late Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and Foreign Minister Fatin Rüştü Zorlu for the Cyprus issue, Tatar noted that this led to the 1960 founding agreements, which recognized the Turkish Cypriots as founding partners and affirmed Turkey’s unilateral intervention rights and guarantees.

Tatar also explained that this step prevented Cyprus from being annexed to Greece. He pointed out that Dr. Küçük’s signature on the Cyprus Republic founding agreements marked the beginning of a new era, and he referred to the rhetoric of Archbishop Makarios at the time.

Tatar recalled the tragic events of Bloody Christmas when 113 Turkish Cypriot villages were burned, and half of the population was forced to live in difficult conditions as refugees, saying that Dr. Küçük stood with them during this challenging period, providing leadership alongside his wife.

Under Dr. Küçük's leadership, the Turkish Cypriot community overcame these hardships by uniting and coming together, Tatar noted. He added that the 1974 Turkish Peace Operation marked the beginning of a new era, leading to the establishment of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

On November 15, 1983, when the TRNC was declared, Dr. Küçük, despite being ill, was present and witnessed the declaration with tears in his eyes, Tatar said.

Reflecting on Dr. Küçük’s words that "his eyes would have no regrets because he had seen the declaration of the Republic," Tatar concluded, "May his soul rest in peace and may his place be in paradise. He will forever hold his rightful place in our history as a symbol of the Turkish Cypriot people's struggle."