Major blunder in Erdoğan's Cyprus post: EOKA image used

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan celebrated the 51st anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation with a statement on his social media account. However, this significant post quickly became a subject of controversy due to the image used. It was revealed that the photograph accompanying Erdoğan's message belonged to the EOKA organization, which operated against the Turkish Cypriot people and is known for its massacres.

STATEMENTS DREW ATTENTION, IMAGE CRISIS OVERSHADOWED

The message in the post included the following statements:

"I wholeheartedly congratulate the Turkish Cypriot people on the July 20 Peace and Freedom Day. On the 51st anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, I commemorate with mercy our martyrs who gave their lives for the Turkish Cypriot people's struggle for existence, and I express my gratitude to our heroic veterans."

However, the fact that this meaningful message was shared with a photograph showing EOKA militants who threatened the lives of the Turkish Cypriot people drew significant backlash.

After the error was noticed, the post on President Erdoğan's official account was deleted shortly thereafter. It was replaced with the same message, this time accompanied by a new image featuring Turkish soldiers. 

THE SAME IMAGE HAD COME TO THE AGENDA 2 YEARS AGO

The photograph in question had come to the agenda before. In 2022, it was observed that the same image was included in a video released by the then-CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for the 100th anniversary of the Republic. Anadolu Agency had issued a warning, stating that this image belonged to EOKA.

WHAT IS EOKA?

EOKA (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston) was an organization founded by Greek Cypriots in Cyprus in the 1950s and 1960s, operating with the aim of annexing the island to Greece. EOKA, which carried out attacks on Turkish villages, is remembered as a symbol of a past that left deep pain for the Turkish Cypriot people.

News Source: 12punto