Labour and Social Security Minister Hasipoğlu to hold contacts in Ankara

Minister of Labour and Social Security Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu will pay an official visit to Ankara on Tuesday.

Speaking on BRT on Monday, Minister Hasipoğlu commented on President Tufan Erhürman’s recent visit to Türkiye, stating that the visit had been carried out in line with state tradition as newly elected presidents always conduct their first official trip abroad to Türkiye.

He said that this tradition had not been broken, and that Ankara always respects the will and democracy of the Turkish Cypriot people.

He added that the messages given there were very important for them.

Stating that as the National Unity Party, they supported a two-state solution model in which the status is equalized, sovereignty is not compromised, and if an agreement is to be signed, sovereign equality is secured, Hasipoğlu said they would not give up Türkiye’s effective and de facto guarantee and right of intervention, and that Türkiye’s official policy was in full harmony with the government.

Hasipoğlu stated that President Erhürman was speaking about a structure involving political equality and constituent states and was drawing a picture that includes federation parameters.

He reminded that during the Eroğlu period, the six UN parameters of governance, power-sharing, territory, property, security and guarantees were negotiated, and that the maps, figures and guarantees under the territory chapter were discussed during the Ban Ki-moon and Akıncı period.

Drawing attention to the fact that the final stage of the UN timetable was completed in 2017 in Crans-Montana, Hasipoğlu recalled that Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades left the table by insisting on zero troops and zero guarantees.

He reminded that then Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated that all chapters had been completed and there was nothing left to discuss within the framework of a federation.

Stressing that he supported a negotiation where sovereign equality is on the table and Türkiye’s right of intervention is not open to discussion, Hasipoğlu said that with a mentality that describes Türkiye’s 1974 intervention as an invasion, it was already understood that discussing a federation under comprehensive negotiations was not possible.

Noting that while President Erhürman was putting forward certain conditions to sit at the table, the Greek Cypriot leader recently stated that he did not accept any preconditions. He said that in this case, instead of discussing a federation, what Erhürman could do was to continue from where Tatar left off, discussing cooperation between the two states.

Commenting on the burning of the TRNC flag in South Cyprus, Hasipoğlu said that there was a reality on the Greek Cypriot side of hatred against Turks and rejection of the Turkish presence on the island, and that the church and education system played an important role in this.

Stating that due to the involvement of the church in politics and education, Greek Cypriot youth grew up with hatred toward Turks, he expressed concern about the rise of Hellenism, the mentality of unification with Greece, and political parties such as ELAM.

Hasipoğlu also criticised the Greek Cypriot leadership for not issuing any condemnation.

Regarding Norway’s decision to sell weapons to the Greek Cypriot Administration, he said that this decision did not support peace or a solution, and that at a time when there are expectations of a new negotiation table, such a step was clearly aimed at non-solution rather than a settlement.

Hasipoğlu said that the Greek Cypriot administration was the side that should be criticised, because their only aim is armament, and he described this as a futile effort.

Speaking about the projects to be implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in 2026, Hasipoğlu stated that they would pay an important visit to Ankara on Tuesday, and meetings will be held with Türkish Minister of Labour and Social Security Prof. Dr Vedat Işıkhan and Turkish Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş.

Reminding that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security served a wide range of groups, including workers, employers, insured individuals, families of martyrs, retirees, women, veterans, social assistance beneficiaries, people with disabilities and children, he said that there were 164,000 registered insured individuals, half of whom are citizens and the other half foreign nationals.

Noting that they were working to maintain the actuarial balance and keep the financial structure strong in both social security and the provident fund, Hasipoğlu said that there were premium supports for women at 100 per cent, employment projects for women, planned disability rehabilitation centres, and that laws on nursing homes and elderly care homes are in their final stage.

He added that they wanted the supervision of these institutions to be under the responsibility of the ministry, and that they would discuss all these issues in Türkiye.

source:btk