UPDATE - Türkiye marks 41st anniversary of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

UPDATES WITH TURKISH PRESIDENT'S REMARKS, TURKISH VICE PRESIDENT ATTENDING WREATH-LAYING CEREMONY, REMARKS BY FOREIGN MINISTER AND NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTRY

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.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrated the anniversary on X, sending a message of solidarity and remembrance.

"I congratulate the 41st anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, our friend and brother, the guarantor of peace, justice, and stability in the Mediterranean," Erdogan wrote.

He also respectfully honored the memory of the "heroic martyrs" and veterans – referring to Turks and Turkish Cypriots who fought off ethnic violence and ensured the safety of the island’s Turkish Cypriot community – and sent affectionate greetings to his "Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters."

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

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

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz marked the anniversary on the island by attending a special wreath-laying ceremony at the Ataturk Monument in the capital, Lefkosa, alongside Ersin Tatar, president of the TRNC.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also marked the milestone on X, saying: "We are proudly celebrating the 41st anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The recognition of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriots, the rightful co-owners of the island, remains our unwavering priority.

"In this regard, we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus takes its rightful place in the international community."

He also stressed the strong and enduring bond between Türkiye and the TRNC: "Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, regardless of the circumstances, will always stand united."

The Turkish National Defense Ministry added on X: "Just as we have been until today, we will continue to stand by the Turkish Cypriots from now on!"

- Decades-long struggle

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.