‘I am honoured to be remembered for my military service’
A VETERAN of the Turkish military intervention in Cyprus, which began on July 20, 1974, has spoken about his memories of that time in an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu news agency.
Retired Sergeant Abdullah Ünay, 71, said he was “honoured” to be remembered for his military service – and not just on Turkey’s Veterans’ Day, which is marked every year on September 19.
Mr Ünay, who lives in İzmir, Turkey, recalled how his company commander was killed when they were ambushed by Greek Cypriot forces as their convoy headed towards Girne.
“The memories are vivid and I will never forget them,” he said.
“Our objective was to ensure the security of Girne harbour ahead of Turkish reinforcements arriving there. We were to hold the beachhead lines to allow landing craft and soldiers to come ashore.
“On our way to Girne, we were ambushed – our company commander had fallen a martyr. As well as the ambush, we were also fired on during and after the journey. Bullets were coming out of nowhere. Machine gun bullets were shredding olive trees, whose leaves were falling on us like snow. There were mortar shells falling, which force you to lie prone, sometimes the earth hits your face directly.
“I was fortunate and was not wounded, so I was able to return home with great pride to eventually become a veteran.
“The Turkish nation is very sensitive regarding its veterans and does not only remember us on Veterans’ Day but at all times. We have a special uniform and whenever I wear mine, people offer up their seats on buses and trains because they know what I represent. “They say ‘Your services are priceless’. “We did everything for the sake of Turkey and never expected anything in return.”