Statement of President Ersin Tatar commemorating the 48th anniversary of the second phase of the Cyprus Peace Operation
“We will never give up our homeland, sovereignty and State.”
President Ersin Tatar's statement is as follows:
“We are today commemorating the anniversary of the second phase of the Peace Operation undertaken by Motherland Türkiye on August 14, 1974, which continued on from the first phase of July 20, under an obligation as a guarantor power Türkiye exercised in accordance with international treaties. The Cyprus Peace Operation ended years long pain and suffering of Turkish Cypriots and re-drew the border in Cyprus that enabled our People to live in freedom.
As the late Bülent Ecevit, the Turkish Prime Minister of the time, aka Karaoğlan, stated on July 20, the Peace Operation brought peace and prosperity not only to the Turkish Cypriot People on the island, but also to the Greek Cypriot People.
Our People waged a great resistance at different stages of their struggle for survival and made great sacrifices to live in peace in their own free and sovereign State.
Our Mujahideen [Turkish Cypriot freedom fighters] and Mehmetciks [Turkish soldiers] are resting side-by-side in these lands. Our homeland and State are entrusted to us by our beloved martyrs. We will never allow these to be trampled upon and our priority will always be to serve, protect and strengthen our State. We will never abandon our homeland, our sovereignty and our State. This is our biggest responsibility to future generations and to our children.
Whilst paying my deepest respect to our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, may they all rest in eternal peace, I wish good health and long lives to our veterans who are still alive.”