Cyprus marks 43rd Anniversary of the Turkish 20 July Peace Mission

Turkisk Cypriot today mark the 43rd anniversary of the 20th of July Peace Operation in Cyprus with series of commemorative events in Lefkoşa taking place in other districts as well.

Variety of ceremonies are being held across North Cyprus to celebrate 43 years since Turkish forces landed in Girne as part of an operation to save Turkish Cypriots from annihilation reports BRT.

A 21 gun salute was took place at noon followed by an address to the nation by President Mustafa Akıncı on BRT.

Military parade took place at 9.30am at the Dr. Fazıl Küçük Boulevard as the annual dawn vigil began at 9.30 pm last night at the Yavuz Çıkarma beach where Turkish forces first landed in 1974.
Those who lost their lives for their nation will be commemorated during the event.

Meanwhile the Greek Cypriot side marked the day with air raid sirens across most of the island on Thursday morning in what it described as the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus which went on to seize almost 40% of the island.

As has been the custom since the 1974 war in Cyprus, sirens wailed across the south of the island at 5.30am to mark July 20 – when Turkish troops arrived in Kyrenia seize 3% of the island and by August, the Turkish army went on to take almost 40% of Cyprus and a military status quo has prevailed ever since with the dividing line (or green line) keeping the Turkish Cypriot community on the north side and Greek Cypriots in the south reports In Cyprus.

Sirens had also wailed on July 15 to mark the Greek-backed coup which had preceded the intervention by Turkey.

Most Greek Cypriots and Greece consider Turkey’s actions as a military invasion and a violation of human rights while most Turkish Cypriots and Turkey consider the intervention as a peace operation aimed at protecting the Turkish Cypriots.

Efforts to reunited the island have failed several times with the most recent negotiations in Crans-Montana failing to find a breakthrough between President Nicos Anastasiades, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.