State officials and opposition in TRNC for the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Ersin Tatar spoke at the 50th-anniversary celebration ceremonies of the Cyprus Peace Operation.

Here are Ersin Tatar's statements:

The Greek leader began using Enosis as a springboard by excluding Turkish Cypriots through armed force. Our devoted people lived in refugee tents under the most difficult conditions for 11 years, never became captives, and fought with their heads held high, never allowing the honor and dignity of Turkishness to be trampled upon. While the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo was carrying out massacres between 1963 and 1974, they were also continuing to calculate when to annex the island to Greece. Their main goal was to destroy our people and annex Cyprus to Greece. Months were passing after the July 15 coup. Ecevit went to England and held consultations. He had warned that the Turkish Armed Forces were currently off the coast of Cyprus. The sound of gunfire in Cyprus had ceased, and there was complete silence. While EOKA was waiting for the junta's instructions, the Turkish Armed Forces were about to arrive from the North. The people of the TRNC had no patience left. The peace operation was carried out on the morning of July 20, 1974.

'THERE IS NO DEFENSE FOR THE EMBARGO'

The great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk charted our path with his principles. Sooner or later, we will take our rightful place in the world. As the Turkish side, we are showing a positive attitude in the negotiation processes. Our goal is to reach an agreement that will be in the interest of Cyprus and the region. The Greek mentality has caused all negotiations to end in failure. There is no defense for the inhumane embargo that has been applied to our people for 60 years.

The wasted time spent trying to find a solution for 60 years has now given way to the policy we brought to the agenda in Geneva in 2021. The determination made after the Geneva summit is very clear.

'WE CONDEMN DENDIAS FOR TARGETING TURKISH CYPRIOTS'

Turkish Cypriots did not bow to oppression. The Greek administration is putting the island in danger. The ongoing armament in the South does not serve peace. EU countries are mere spectators to the Greek administration. The provocative steps of the Greek side serve tension. The Greek administration's act of making agreements with certain countries and turning the south into an operations center threatens the island. We strongly condemn the low-level statement by Dendias targeting Turkish Cypriots.

Just as they remained spectators to the Greeks' attacks on Turks during the 1963-1974 period, they are remaining spectators to the attacks on Gaza today.

The TRNC is an inseparable part of the Turkish world. July 20 is the existence of the Turkish Cypriot from nothing; happy holiday to us. How happy is the one who says I am a Turk!

STATEMENTS FROM ERDOĞAN

President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the 50th-anniversary celebration ceremonies of the Cyprus Peace Operation.

Highlights from Erdoğan's statements are as follows:

I am experiencing the joy of being with you on the 50th anniversary of the Peace Operation, which enabled the Turkish Cypriot people to attain freedom. I would especially like to convey the greetings and love of 85 million. I thank each and every one of you for embracing us. May the blessed souls of the heroes who fell for the homeland, for the flag, for our independence and our future, be at peace. I kiss the hands of each of our veterans who fought courageously for the rights and freedoms of the Turkish Cypriot and offer my gratitude. I commemorate the architects of the Cyprus Peace Operation, Bülent Ecevit, Necmettin Erbakan, Alparslan Türkeş, and other statesmen and politicians with mercy. I remember the Mehmetçik (Turkish soldiers) and the Mujahideen once again.

"WE ARE HERE WITHOUT A GOVERNMENT-OPPOSITION DISTINCTION"

Today, just as it was half a century ago, we are one heart and one fist again. As the motherland Turkey and the TRNC, we stand back to back. Our presence here today without a government-opposition distinction is an indication of the importance Turkey attaches to the Cyprus cause. Northern Cyprus is a piece of our soul. This place is also a trust left to us by Hz. Osman, the companions, and our heroic ancestors. Hopefully, we will continue to protect this trust firmly. I also thank the political party leaders. We will continue to strengthen the common solidarity picture we have displayed on national issues.

"EXACTLY 50 YEARS AGO, A HISTORIC STEP WAS TAKEN TO REMOVE THE DAGGER"

The Turkish Cypriot people were both being excluded from the state they were a founder and partner of, and were being subjected to the attacks of the bloodthirsty EOKA. Even the UN Peacekeeping Force could not stop the frenzy of madness. It could not prevent the massacre. By 1974, inhumane attacks had reached their peak. Exactly 50 years ago today, the heroic Mehmetçik took a historic step to remove the dagger that was intended to be struck into the independence of the Turkish Cypriot. As the motherland and guarantor country, we took action with our rights and obligations and the responsibility that history placed on our shoulders. That day, we showed the whole world that the Turkish Cypriot is not alone and will never be left alone. Our Mehmetçik, who parachuted into the fields set on fire by the Greeks as if entering a rose garden, and our naval sailors have once again etched their courage into history.

Whatever enthusiasm, joy, and pride prevailed here that day, the same festive atmosphere prevails in Turkey. We see July 20, which we celebrate as a holiday today, as a symbol of the protection of the sovereign rights and equal status of the Turkish Cypriot people in line with their longing for peace and stability and their ideals.

"A FEDERAL SOLUTION IN CYPRUS IS NOT POSSIBLE"

In the south of the island, there is a spoiled mentality that sees itself as the sole ruler of the island of Cyprus. The Greek leader attends commemoration ceremonies for EOKA terrorists, our Turkish Cypriot brothers are attacked when they cross to the South, and mosques in the South are set on fire. Just recently, the Greek Minister of Defense made nonsensical statements. We met with Mr. Mitsotakis abroad, and I told him, 'We are in the TRNC on the 20th, I heard you are in the South, I suppose you won't provoke us.' He said he wasn't thinking of such a thing. We said, 'If you aren't thinking of it, then there is no problem, let's continue.' Extremely irresponsible steps are being taken that risk threatening the security of the entire island in the face of ongoing conflicts in the region. You cannot bathe in the same water twice. You cannot get anywhere by ignoring the realities on the island. We believe that a federal solution in Cyprus is not possible. It is of no use to anyone to say, 'Let's continue the negotiations from where we left off in Switzerland years ago.' We are ready to ensure lasting peace and a solution in Cyprus. We will not leave any hand extended on the path to a solution hanging in the air.

ERDOĞAN AND ÖZEL CHATTED

Due to protocol, President Erdoğan, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Numan Kurtulmuş, and CHP leader Özgür Özel sat side by side.
It was observed that Özel and Erdoğan chatted for a while.

The long conversation between President Erdoğan and CHP leader Özel on the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation drew attentionhttps://t.co/IrTvee8Q8v pic.twitter.com/nH8g5fCVdh

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) July 20, 2024

News Source: 12punto