According to information from the Foreign Press Association, at the meeting held at the association's premises the activity and financial reports were approved and several amendments to the charter were adopted.
Selim Sayarı, the only candidate, was elected President at the meeting.
In his speech after the election, Sayarı said the association is a professional organisation that believes in liberal and pluralist democracy based on human rights and defends freedom of thought, communication and the press within the framework of a national, democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law.
Stating that the association exists to open the way for the right to "receive news and inform the public", as set out in the constitution, to be exercised freely "without any pressure or restriction", Sayarı said: “Protecting the rights and interests of our colleagues and the organisations they work for, contributing to our colleagues' development and supporting the improvement of their socio-economic standing are among our priority tasks.”
Noting that another aim of the association is to prevent publications that damage people's honour and dignity or are untrue, and to ensure respect for the right of reply and correction, Sayarı said: “Preventing the profession of journalism from being used for private purposes and interests, not tolerating among us, so to speak, ‘those who turn journalism into a source of unearned gain’, observing professional principles and protecting the honour of the profession are among our priority goals.”
Saying that practising journalism in Cyprus is a special case, Sayarı noted that the Cyprus issue, with a history of more than 50 years, is one of the world's longest-running political problems and one of the very few still unresolved.
Sayarı stressed that this is the only international issue, and a national issue, in which the Turkish Cypriots and guarantor Turkey are "right from the ground to the sky".
“For this cause, 60 thousand martyrs have been given since the Ottoman era, and the Turkish Cypriots, who suffered for 11 years until 1974, were subjected to genocides. Inhumane embargoes aimed at isolating the Turkish Cypriots from the world still continue,” Sayarı said, adding that for all these reasons practising journalism in Cyprus is a special case and that the Cyprus problem is not only a political but also a humanitarian issue.
Noting in this context that one of the Foreign Press Association's aims is also to protect, within the media, Turkey's rights and powers in Cyprus arising from international agreements and its responsibilities as a guarantor country, Sayarı said: “Making the voice of the TRNC heard, conveying the struggle for equality to the international community and ensuring that the parties shaping the problem understand it correctly ‘without distortion’ are also among our duties.”
Sayarı stated:
“The Turkish side, which said ‘yes’ to the Annan peace plan and which, at the 2017 Crans-Montana talks, brought the island closer to a solution than ever before, received a ‘no to peace’ answer from its counterparts at both milestones. The Turkish side is now walking a new path. The TRNC state is striving for international recognition of sovereign equality and for two separate states to live peacefully in cooperation on the island.”
The board members are as follows:
Vice President: Fevzi Tanpınar
General Secretary: Taner Gönül
Foreign Relations Secretary: Sefa Karahasan
Finance Secretary: Burhan Canbaz
Education Secretary: Onur Evrensel
Organisation Secretary: Ömer Bilge
Substitute members: Rıza Açıkgöz, Hüseyin Turan
Disciplinary Committee: Akay Cemal, Yurdagül Atun
Audit Committee: Emine Sivri Karahan, Didem Gürses, Cem Kar
High Advisory Council member: Mesut Günsev
Press Card Commission representative: Fevzi Tanpınar
