Speaking at the opening ceremony of the new terminal building and runway of Ercan Airport in the TRNC, President Erdoğan said: “This masterpiece will contribute to turning the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a basin of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, into a brand in the region.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at the inauguration of the new terminal building and runway of Ercan Airport in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Voicing his happiness to be attending the opening ceremony in his speech, President Erdoğan said: “I would like to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly congratulate the 49th anniversary of the Peace Operation, whereby we cried it out to everybody, foes and friends alike, that the Turkish Cypriots’ presence on the island is eternal.”
Ercan Airport, which was opened to civilian air traffic on February 3, 1975, previously had a 20 thousand m2 terminal building, 34 thousand m2 parking area and 2 thousand 755 m-long main runway, noted the President, adding that the airport has gained the capability of hosting wide-body aircraft, too, following the construction works that started in 2016.
“ERCAN AIRPORT HAS THE LARGEST PASSENGER CAPACITY ON THE CYPRUS ISLAND”
President Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows: “Built on an area of 7 million 800 thousand m2, Ercan Airport has been rendered suitable for use by every type of passenger plane thanks to its 3 thousand 100 m-long new runway, compared to the previous one whose length was 2 thousand 755 meters. The new terminal is six times larger than the previous one. Thus, it is now capable of serving up to 10 million passengers at once. The new terminal building, which is more advanced and has a larger capacity, means increased contribution to tourism, as well as more investment, more income, and more employment. As of today, Ercan Airport has the largest passenger capacity on the Cyprus island.”
“This masterpiece will contribute to turning the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a basin of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, into a brand in the region,” stressed the President, offering his gratitude to all who contributed to any phase of the construction works.
“THE DAYS ARE NOT DISTANT WHEN THE NEW TERMINAL BUILDING AND RUNWAY, WHICH WE ARE INAUGURATING TODAY, WILL BE USED FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS”
Underscoring that Türkiye is the sole destination of direct flights from Ercan Airport because of the unjust and unlawful practices of the international community, President Erdoğan said: “The Turkish Cypriots have been offering air traffic services in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization standards in the Ercan Advisory Airspace. The Airport serves its local and foreign passengers with its advanced technology and Turkish hospitality. The days are not distant when the new terminal building and runway, which we are inaugurating today, will be used for international flights.”
President Erdoğan went onto say: “I, on this occasion, invite the international community to give heed to the call made by Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General of the time, acknowledging that there is no UN Security Council resolution justifying the isolation faced by our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters, and to remove these purely political restrictions devoid of any legal basis. I reiterate my call to support the ideal of two equal states to live side by side, rather than the culture of dominance, tension, and conflict on the Cyprus island.”
Marking the July 20 Peace and Freedom Day, President Erdoğan remembered with grace all the martyrs and ghazis, first and foremost Martyr Major Fehmi Ercan, after whom the airport was named.
President Erdoğan inaugurated the new terminal building and runway following his speech.
