Türkiye Marks 51st Anniversary of Cyprus Peace Operation, Reaffirms Support for Turkish Cypriots
Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, along with senior officials, marked the 51st anniversary of the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation on Sunday, reaffirming Türkiye’s steadfast commitment to the rights, sovereignty, and future of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
President Erdoğan visited the TRNC to participate in commemorative events and inaugurate new development projects aimed at supporting the island’s Turkish Cypriot community. In a social media post, he stated: “I wholeheartedly congratulate the Turkish Cypriots on the July 20 Peace and Freedom Day. On the 51st anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, I commemorate with mercy our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Turkish Cypriot people’s struggle for existence and extend my gratitude to our heroic veterans.”
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released a statement underscoring the historical and legal legitimacy of the 1974 operation, which Türkiye launched in response to a Greek Cypriot coup backed by Athens that aimed to annex the island to Greece.
“Türkiye, in accordance with its rights and obligations arising from international agreements, guaranteed the existence and security of the Turkish Cypriots 51 years ago today,” the statement read. “Today, Turkish Cypriots live in security and peace under the umbrella of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, standing strong under the shadow of their own flag.”
The ministry reaffirmed Ankara’s unwavering role as a guarantor state and its continued efforts to secure the inherent and equal rights of Turkish Cypriots, including equal sovereignty and international recognition as co-owners of the island.
Presidency’s Head of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, described the 1974 intervention as “a historic turning point,” stating: “The Cyprus Peace Operation went down in history as a legitimate intervention against the impositions that ignored the Turkish Cypriot people’s demands for equality, freedom, and security.”
He stressed that Türkiye’s determination regarding the political equality and sovereignty of Turkish Cypriots remains resolute, echoing President Erdoğan’s words: “We may have different names, but when it comes to the Cyprus cause, our surname is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”
The 1974 military intervention led to the establishment of the TRNC in 1983 and has since been central to regional diplomacy. Despite several United Nations-backed negotiation efforts—including the 2017 Crans-Montana talks in Switzerland—peace efforts have failed to produce a comprehensive settlement. Turkish Cypriots have consistently supported a solution based on sovereign equality, while the Greek Cypriot side has rejected key proposals, including the 2004 Annan Plan, which was overwhelmingly supported by Turkish Cypriots in a referendum.
As Türkiye and the TRNC commemorate over five decades since the Cyprus Peace Operation, leaders on both sides continue to call for recognition of the Turkish Cypriots’ equal status and a just resolution to the long-standing dispute.
