Statement of President Ersin Tatar on the 48th anniversary of the coup d’état by the Greek junta and EOKA terrorist organisation on July 15, 1974; and the 6th anniversary of the coup attempt by the FETO terrorist organisation on July 15, 2016
“The common objective of both coups was to make Cyprus a Hellenic island”
President Ersin Tatar issued a written statement on the 48th anniversary of the July 15, 1974 coup d’état undertaken by the Greek junta and the EOKA terrorist organisation in the island of Cyprus and the 6th anniversary of the coup attempt by the FETO terrorist organisation that was carried out on July 15, 2016, in the Republic of Türkiye.
The statement reads as follows:
“It is the 48th anniversary of the coup d’état carried out by the military junta in Greece and the EOKA terrorist organisation on July 15, 1974 with the objective of annexing the island of Cyprus to Greece, and the 6th anniversary of the attempted coup undertaken by the FETO terrorist organisation on July 15, 2016 in the Republic of Türkiye.
I once again condemn, in the strongest possible manner, these fascist coups which attempted to trample over democracy and the will of the nation as well as the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people and violate their democratic rights.
The Greek-Greek Cypriot leaderships stepped up their objective to annex Cyprus with Greece (ENOSIS) immediately after the island was leased out to Britain in 1878, which could not succeed following the epic resistance, solidarity and sacrifice put forward by the Turkish Cypriot People.
The Turkish Cypriot People, who buried many of their children so that Cyprus would not become a Hellenic Island, made great sacrifices, and in the darkness of that period, enlightened their future with the slogan of freedom, putting up resistance with the support of Türkiye and always standing proud with honour.
My People became one of the equal co-founding partners of the Republic of Cyprus that was formed in 1960, following the struggle waged through the leadership of the Turkish Resistance Organisation (TMT). The Greek-Greek Cypriot duo, who perceived the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ as being a ‘springboard for ENOSIS’, initiated island-wide attacks and massacred Turkish Cypriots, which began on December 21, 1963, with what is known as Bloody Christmas. The Greek Cypriot Side expulsed the Turkish Cypriots by force of arms out of the state apparatus that year and turned the usurped state into a Greek Cypriot administration.
Whilst the negotiation process was continuing to find a solution to the Cyprus issue, they took fresh action to achieve the monstrous ENOSIS. The Greek military junta and EOKA terrorist members believed they could make Cyprus a Hellenic island through the coup d’état staged on July 15, 1974. However, they were unsuccessful. . .
Motherland Türkiye, who was obliged to act as a Guarantor in accordance with the legal rights enshrined in international treaties, undertook the Peace Operation on the morning of July 20, 1974. With this peace operation and the arrival of the Turkish army, there has been freedom for our People and peace and prosperity to the whole island of Cyprus.
It is important to note that hundreds of Greek Cypriots were also killed by the fascist putschists in the bloody coup. The primary aim of the Greek military junta and EOKA terrorist group members was to exterminate the Turkish Cypriot People and annex the island to Greece.
Another fascist coup attempt took place on July 15, 2016, by the FETO terrorist organisation, which was organised and supported by foreign powers that wanted to enslave Türkiye.
While this coup attempt against the existence, integrity, independence and democracy of the Republic of Türkiye was suppressed by the Turkish nation and the Turkish Security Forces, the Turkish Cypriot people strongly reacted to this coup attempt from the very first moment…
As a result of the attempted coup, the FETO terrorist organisation killed hundreds of innocent people. However, faced with struggle of the Turkish nation, the Turkish Armed Forces and law enforcement units, they lost, and the winner was the Great Turkish Nation and Turkish democracy.
One of the common features of these two fascist coups was to make Cyprus an island of Hellenism.
While this was the main objective of the July 15, 1974 coup, it is necessary to remind the messages and instructions sent from the FETO headquarters in Ankara to the FETO organisations in the TRNC, during the FETO coup attempt on July 15, 2016. In these messages and instructions, it was requested that "Ercan Airport and other seaports be blockaded and a large part of Turkish soldiers sent to Mersin".
It is worth noting that the statements made by the leading figures of the Greek Cypriot leadership were that had the Greek Cypriot Side attacked the North on the evening of July 15 when the attempted coup was taking place in Türkiye, they claimed that they would have been able to “take Turkish soldiers hostage” and that “Girne would have been ours again".
While defending the Republic of Türkiye, freedom, independence, democracy and the will of the people in the coup attempt carried out by the FETO terrorist organisation, I pay tribute to the sacrifice shown by the martyrs with gratitude, and I salute our veterans with respect."