President Ersin Tatar participates in the ceremony held in remembrance of the Muratağa, Sandallar and Atlılar Martyrs
“There was an act of genocide committed here that is rarely seen in the world”
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President Ersin Tatar participated in a ceremony in remembrance of the 126 martyrs of the Muratağa, Sandallar and Atlılar villages in the Gazimağusa District, who were massacred by Greek-Greek Cypriot forces on August 14, 1974.
The ceremony, which was held at the Muratağa – Sandallar Martyrdom on Wednesday, started with the observation of a minute’s silence, the playing of the National Anthem, and the raising of the flags of the Republic of Türkiye and the TRNC. President Tatar laid a wreath at the martyrdom and addressed the ceremony that was attended by Government and Military officials, civil organisation representatives and members of the public.
President Tatar stated: “An act of genocide, that is rarely seen in the world, was committed by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo here 50 years ago. I condemn these acts in the strongest possible terms. The perpetrators of the Greek Cypriot Administration, police and military officials -- who carried out these war crimes, have never been trialled and brought to justice.”
Stating that peace came to the island with the Cyprus Peace Operation of which the Republic of Türkiye undertook as obliged by the Treaty of Guarantee, President Tatar stressed: “The 1960 partnership Republic of Cyprus was established between two co-founding Peoples – the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. The Greek Cypriot Side, which saw this partnership republic as being a springboard to uniting Cyprus with Greece, expelled the Turkish Cypriots from the state apparatus by force of arms in December 1963. Thousands of Turkish Cypriots were either killed or forced to migrate from the Island of Cyprus between 1963 to 1974, due to the violence, oppression and acts of genocide such as what was lived in these villages – which took place in front of the eyes of the UN. One-hundred-and-twenty-six defenceless civilian Turkish Cypriot women and children were massacred here and were buried in mass graves. Despite the passing of 50-years, the pain of the bereaved families and loved ones who lost their loved ones is fresh. This pain is indeed magnified due to the fact that none of the perpetrators who committed these war crimes have not been trialled nor has justice been served. We are here today to pay our deepest respects to our martyrs, and I offer my condolences and wish patience to the families of the martyrs.”
President Tatar stated that the international community is today observing the committal of atrocities and the significant loss of life including that of women and children, particularly in Gaza.
“I reiterate my gratitude to Türkiye, to the Turkish Security Forces, who are the real peacekeepers in Cyprus, and an effective deterrent. Had it have not been for the peace operation by Türkiye in 1974, there would not have been any Turkish Cypriot left to save,” President Tatar said.
President Tatar stated that the remains of the martyrs were exhumed and identified as a result of the DNA testing that was carried out by the Committee on Missing Persons and were laid to rest in their individual graves.