Turkish Armed Forces Hold Parade in Northern Cyprus
TRNC, The Gulf Observer: On Saturday, the Turkish Armed Forces organized a grand parade in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation. The parade, held in Girne province, showcased 50 ships, including the TCG Anadolu, three maritime patrol planes, nine helicopters, a Bayraktar TB-3 unmanned aerial vehicle, and a Bayraktar Kizilelma unmanned aerial vehicle.
The event featured an impressive demonstration flight by the Turkish Stars Aerobatic Team, which performed in the skies above Girne as part of the celebrations. The Cyprus Peace Operation, launched in 1974, was a response to a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at annexing the island to Greece, prompting Türkiye to intervene as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. This intervention led to the establishment of the TRNC in 1983.
The island of Cyprus has long been embroiled in a dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite numerous diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement. Ethnic attacks beginning in the early 1960s had forced Turkish Cypriots to retreat into enclaves for safety. In 2004, the Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the European Union, the same year Greek Cypriots rejected a United Nations plan to resolve the longstanding conflict.
