Türkiye marks 41st anniversary of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

By Gizem Nisa Cebi

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye marked the 41st anniversary of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Friday, reaffirming its commitment to supporting Turkish Cypriots in their pursuit of sovereignty and security.

"As the motherland and guarantor, Türkiye will always stand by the Turkish Cypriots, safeguarding their rights and interests," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on X.

It commemorated the TRNC as "the foremost symbol of the Turkish Cypriots' struggle for sovereignty and freedom."

For decades, the island of Cyprus has been mired in a dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

The Greek Cypriot Administration was admitted to the European Union in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.

Türkiye fully supports a two-state solution on the island of Cyprus based on sovereign equality and equal international status.