Türkiye remembers founding father of Northern Cyprus

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye on Friday remembered the founding father of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on the 11th anniversary of his death.

In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said: "We commemorate the leader of the Turkish Cypriot people and Founding President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, late Rauf Raif Denktas with respect and mercy on the eleventh anniversary of his passing away.

"His efforts for Turkish Cypriots’ existence, sovereignty and independence will always be remembered with gratitude."

Türkiye will continue to give full support to the resolute struggle of the Turkish Cypriot people, co-owners of the Island, for the reaffirmation of their inherent rights and recognition of the TRNC, it added.

Denktas had passed away on Jan. 13, 2012.

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN 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.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the UK.

The Greek Cypriot administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.