‘Turkey will always have TRNC’s interests in mind’

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said Wednesday he held fruitful meetings during his visit to Turkey which addressed a range of issues.

"In these meetings, we discussed what kind of process should be carried out in order for the TRNC to become stronger under the current conditions," said Tatar, speaking to reporters at Ercan International Airport.

Tatar said the meetings focused on issues in the Eastern Mediterranean and the town of Maras.

"Once again, we have seen how much Turkey cares about the TRNC regarding these developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey will always continue to support the TRNC.

"We discussed the prosperity of the TRNC and what should be done for a safer future. Our meetings have always been like this. This is even more important due to recent developments," he added.

Tatar said they also discussed efforts to transform a treatment center into a 50-bed pandemic clinic and building a 100-bed pandemic hospital in the future.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received Tatar on Wednesday at Vahdettin Pavilion in Istanbul. Their meeting lasted 90 minutes.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay also attended the meeting.

Maras, located in northern Cyprus, was a ghost town where entry was forbidden except for Turkish army personnel stationed in the TRNC.

It was abandoned after the UN Security Council passed Resolution 550 on May 11,1984 which said the town can only be resettled by its original inhabitants.

The TNRC on June 18, 2019 announced the opening of Maras to tourists.