July 20th celebrations,
Coinciding with the first day of Kurban Bayram, the 47th anniversary of the 1974 Peace Operation is marked with ceremonies and parades
THE 47th anniversary of the start of the Cyprus Peace Operation, marked as July 20 Peace and Freedom Day, was celebrated with ceremonies and parades across the TRNC on Tuesday, which coincided with the first day of Kurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) this year.
Turkey landed its troops in Cyprus on the dawn of July 20, 1974, five days after a coup aimed to achieve “Enosis”, or union of Cyprus with Greece, by invoking their right to intervene as a guarantor power and to stop attacks on Turkish Cypriots.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and his large delegation, attended the ceremonies as the guest of honour.
The day began with a ceremony at the Lefkoşa Atatürk Statue and Lefkoşa Martyrs’ Monument followed by the traditional parade along Dr Fazıl Küçük Bulvarı.
Signing a memorial book at the Atatürk Statue, Mr Erdoğan wrote: “August Atatürk, today we are in the TRNC to mark the 47th anniversary of Cyprus Peace Operation, which we conducted together with the Turkish Cypriots by joining forces and hearts, and to observe holy Eid al-Adha.
“The visit, which we are paying in a period during which critical developments are taking place regarding the island, is the sign of the importance we as the motherland attach to the tranquility, well-being and future of the TRNC.
“Just as the Turkish nation ran to the help of the Turkish Cypriots facing a threat of massacre 47 years ago, we will continue to stand by our Cypriot brothers and sisters with all our means at hand today and tomorrow as well.
“We will determinedly continue our struggle until we achieve victory in the Turkish Cypriot’s cause for rights, justice and freedom at international level. Rest in peace.”
Presidents Ersin Tatar and Erdoğan, Parliamentary Speaker Önder Sennaroğlu, Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Mustafa Şentop, Prime Minister Ersan Saner, Supreme Court Chief Justice Narin Ferdi Şefik, Turkey’s Lefkoşa Ambassador Ali Murat Başçeri, senior military officials, ministers, MPs, representatives of institutions, organisations and associations, and members of the public watched the main ceremony and parade, which was held amid tight security.
The presidents were met with carnations thrown at their vehicles when they arrived at the ceremony area and applause as they got out of the vehicles.
Snipers kept watch from rooftops, armed guards patrolled the parade zone, while police used metal detectors to check people entering the cordoned spectator areas.
The event started with a minute’s silence, followed by the singing of the national anthem and the hoisting of the flags.
Mr Tatar and Mr Erdoğan then boarded the back of a military jeep to inspect the ceremonial troops and wish the people a happy Bayram.
Turkish and TRNC flags brought from the Yavuz Beach in Alsancak, where the first Turkish troops came ashore in 1974, were presented to Mr Tatar. There was then a folk dancing performance.
Mr Tatar and Mr Erdoğan then gave speeches. In his speech, Mr Tatar said that the opening of the closed part of Maraş, which had been a ghost town from 1974 to October last year when some roads were opened up to the public, would be moving to the “second phase”.
Expressing that the decision to open Maraş, also known as Varosha, which is a part of the TRNC, is an extremely important initiative that will enable the return of properties to former residents and rights holders who have been unable to go there for years, Mr Tatar said:
“Our aim is to eliminate the grievances here. The opening of closed Maraş will be realised through the Immovable Property Commission, respecting property rights and in accordance with the law.
“With the decision adopted by the Council of Ministers to lift the military zone status of the region, which is equivalent to 3.5 percent of Closed Maraş, the second phase of the Maraş opening will begin.
“With this step, the Immovable Property Commission will have the chance to make a decision when [property] rights holders apply for the return of their property.
“At this stage, I once again express our gratitude to Turkey’s government for the strong support given to the decisions we have taken to open Maraş.”
Referring to the Cyprus problem, Mr Tatar said that a solution based on a federation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, which had been the basis of talks for decades, is no longer possible.
“The outdated and racist mentality of the Greek Cypriot side, the outcome of the [2004] Annan Plan referendum and the events that took place in Crans Montana [in Switzerland] in 2017 have made it clear that a federal based solution in Cyprus cannot and will not be sustained,” he said.
He added: “As the Turkish side, while we are in favour of a fair, permanent and sustainable agreement through negotiation, the reality that two states have existed for about 60 years must be accepted for this to happen.
“My primary duty as President is to protect the state, sovereignty, rights and interests of my people, to prevent a process that could make my people a minority to the Greek Cypriots and to further strengthen our
unwavering ties with Motherland Turkey.”
Regarding the period leading up to the Peace Operation, when Turkish Cypriots lived in enclaves under oppression for more than 10 years, Mr Tatar said: “Tears of joy have replaced mourning.”
Mr Tatar also praised the support provided by Turkey to improve the TRNC’s infrastructure and to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, such as by constructing a new Emergency Hospital for Covid patients, providing vaccines and drawing up plans for a new 500bed fully equipped state hospital in Lefkoşa.
“In this context, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay is handling every single problem in Cyprus and is focused on developing the TRNC sector by sector,” Mr Tatar said.
“The fact that all [Turkish] ministers meticulously follow TRNC projects without separating them from investments in Turkey is very valuable and precious for its people.”
Mr Tatar continued: “The TRNC has very suitable conditions for moving forward in tourism, higher education, IT, light industry services, real estate, the water project, industrial agriculture and animal husbandry.
“The opening of new investment projects and groundbreaking ceremonies that we will hold with [Mr Erdoğan] will once again show that the TRNC infrastructure is getting stronger and means that we can look to our future with stability and hope.”
Mr Erdoğan, in his speech, said: “In the light of the works carried out by respecting the property rights, a new era, in which everyone will benefit, will begin in Maraş from now on.
He continued: “Turkey and the TRNC have made all kinds of sincere efforts since the beginning to reach a just and lasting solution in the island.
“The Greek side is insistent to maintain its unreal, maximalist, insincere and spoilt approach. In addition, they have no intention of changing their approaches, questioning themselves or exerting sincere efforts for a just resolution. Whatever intentions they had in the past, they look at the issue in the same perspective today.”
Drawing attention to the failed 2004 Annan Plan, which Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of but which Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected, President Erdoğan stressed that the European Union had yet to fulfil the promises it had made to Turkish Cypriots following the outcome. “They called me the other day and said exactly the following: ‘You are to make a speech in the TRNC on July 20. It won’t be a disturbing speech, will it?’ We will definitely not ask for permission from you to do it.
“And now today, all the enemies of Turks will come together with [Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos] Mitsotakis in the US, and make a kind of responsive speech to us, via videoconference probably.
“Let them do whatever they want. We are giving our message. We are right. And that is why we will protect our rights to the end. They are not democrats. Their rhetoric for rights and freedom is binding for them only until they benefit it.”
Stating that new negotiations regarding Cyprus could only be carried out between two states, Mr Erdoğan continued: “And to this regard, first of all, the sovereign equality and equal status of the Turkish Cypriots must be acknowledged. This is the key to the solution. Saying that, ‘there is no two-state solution,’ means ignoring the sovereignty, equality, independence, state and gains of the Turkish Cypriot people.
“No-one should ever expect the Turkish Cypriots to give up their vested rights, equal status or sovereignty, and to live as a minority under the will and control of the Greek side.”
Referring to the issue of Maraş, Mr Erdoğan said: “I congratulate President Tatar and the TRNC government for the resolute stance they have been displaying concerning the Maraş issue despite all the counter propaganda carried out by the Greek side.”
Stressing that life in Maraş will restart with the decision announced by Mr Tatar, Mr Erdoğan went on to say: “In the light of the works carried out by respecting the property rights, a new era, in which everyone will benefit, will begin in Maraş from now on.
“The fact that the opening will first occur in a pilot area, which corresponds to 3.5 per cent of Closed Maraş, shows how sensitive the Turkish Cypriot officials handle this issue.
“The Maraş region, which has for years been inactive, will be the symbol of the peaceful and prosperous future of the Cyprus island, not of the deadlock.
“With the steps to be taken hereafter, there will be no more injustices in Maraş, but on the contrary the current ones will be corrected. We do not have an eye on anyone’s lands, rights or properties. Likewise, no one can usurp the rights of Turkey or the TRNC.”
Mr Erdoğan also said that he was aware that his visit to North Cyprus had “annoyed some circles at home and abroad”.
“These circles have, since the very beginning, done everything to cast a shadow over our visit and this historic joy of Eid of ours.
“Indeed, as I have previously mentioned, some circles in the US have taken action under the pretext of strengthening relations with the Greek Cypriots.
“Some people, among whom are wellknown enemies of Turkey, held a conference to display their support for the Greek Cypriots and Greece against so-called Turkish aggression.”
After the speeches, the ceremony concluded with a military parade and flypasts by the Turkish Stars jets, F-16s and helicopters. Ceremonies were also held in Gazimağusa, Girne, İskele, Lefke and Mehmetçik.