Ceremonies were held to remember those who were massacred by the Greek Cypriot military in the villages of Muratağa, Atlılar and Sandallar in 1974.

At the ceremony, which commenced with President Ersin Tatar laying a wreath at the Muratağa-Sandallar Martyrs' Martyrs Cemetery at 10am that was also attended by the families and loved ones of the martyrs, veterans and the public, a moment of silence was held, and flags were hoisted with the National Anthem.


After the martyr's granddaughter Ayşe Güler Akın read out a poem at the ceremony, Ahmet Asır, the Chairman of the Association for the Remembrance of the Martyrs of Muratağa,  Sandallar and Atlılılar, made an emotional speech on behalf of the families of the martyrs.


The ceremony ended with the speech of President Ersin Tatar, followed by a visit to the graves of the martyrs where prayers were also made.

Present at the ceremony alongside the President was Parliament Speaker Önder Sennaroğlu, Prime Minister Ersan Saner, Turkey's Ambassador to Lefkoşa Ali Murat Başçeri, Cyprus Turkish Peace Forces Major General Sezai Öztürk, Security Forces Major General Zorlu Topaloğlu, main opposition Republican Turkish Party Chairman Tufan Erhürman, some ministers and officials.


This was followed by a separate remembrance ceremony at Atlılar Martyrdom.

At the ceremony, President Ersin Tatar laid a wreath at the martyrs monument, followed by a moment of silence and a gunshot salute for the fallen martyrs. The Turkish and TRNC flags were hoisted alongside the playing of the National Anthem.


The ceremony ended with a tour of the cemetery there.


Addressing the ceremony, President Tatar pointed out that the Muratağa, Sandallar and Atlılar massacres took place in front of the whole world on August 14, 1974, and emphasised that babies, primary school children, the elderly and women were brutally murdered and buried.

“There are efforts to hide the atrocities that were committed here through barbaric acts by the Greek Cypriot military who massacred babies, primary school children, the elderly and women, just because they were Turkish,” the President said.


Emphasising the need to protect the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot people,  the President underlined that, whilst taking lessons from the past, it was necessary for a settlement in Cyprus to be based on two States for sustainable peace and stability. 

President Tatar stated that while the Turkish Cypriot people continue on their way, they will not give up the active and effective guarantees of motherland Turkey.  Referring to the Greek Cypriot instigated “brutality and the bloody Christmas,” the President said “we cannot forget these atrocities. We will never accept going back to the conditions which prevailed pre-1974.”