UPDATE 2 - Türkiye commemorates 50th anniversary of Cyprus Peace Operation

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY

By Esra Tekin and Gozde Bayar

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye on Saturday commemorated the 50th anniversary of the landmark Cyprus Peace Operation, marked as Peace and Freedom Day in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the July 20, 1974, showed the world that Turkish Cypriots were not alone and symbolized the “equal political status and sovereignty rights” of Turkish Cypriots.

“Despite efforts to completely eliminate them, today Turkish Cypriots live peacefully and securely under their own flag and the umbrella of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” said Erdogan in a preface of a book titled 50th Anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation.

He added that Türkiye’s goal has been to secure the permanence of peace brought about in 1974 and seek ways to live in peace.

Erdogan also reiterated his call for recognizing TRNC “as soon as possible”.

“I wish to reiterate my historic call to the entire world from the UN General Assembly podium: ‘Do not turn your backs on the realities in Cyprus any longer, and recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as soon as possible’,” the Turkish president said.

"The atmosphere of peace and tranquility achieved on the island by the Cyprus Peace Operation has lasted for half a century," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on X, hailing the occasion.

Fidan vowed that Türkiye will continue standing "shoulder-to-shoulder" with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and defend its rights and interests.

Also releasing a message to commemorate the operation, Turkish parliamentary speaker Numan Kurtulmus said it symbolized the freedom Turkish Cypriots achieved with their courage and patience.

"Today, recognizing the rights and equal status of the Turkish Cypriot people is the key to stability and peace in the region.

"As always, we emphasize today as well the importance of dialogue and the spirit of cooperation for the implementation of a fair agreement in Cyprus," he added.

Kurtulmus expressed Türkiye's determination to achieve a lasting solution for the recognition of the TRNC via diplomatic channels, and its commitment to principled negotiations.

For his part Türkiye's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said the Cyprus Peace Operation "has not only been a significant military victory but has also taken its place in history as a symbol of the unity, solidarity, and determination of a nation."

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation has been celebrated with “extraordinary enthusiasm.”

“The Turkish Cypriot people, who have been able to maintain their existence on the island despite the persecution and oppression they have suffered in the past, still maintain their determination for peace and justice, although they continue to face unjust restrictions,” a ministry statement said.

Noting the Turkish Cypriot people will “look to the future with confidence” under the effective guarantee of Türkiye, it said Ankara will continue to defend the cause of the Turkish Cypriot people and fulfill its historical duties.

“A just and lasting solution on the island is only possible with the acceptance of the equal status of the Turkish Cypriots and the existence of two peoples and two states on the island,” it added.

The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long 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 EU in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.