Northern Cyprus celebrates 50th Anniversary of Cyprus Peace Operation as Erdogan visits

Fifty years have passed since the Cyprus Peace Operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF). The history leading up to this intervention is marked by conflicts and territorial disputes. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in the TRNC to attend the July 20 Peace and Freedom Day celebrations. He landed at Ercan Airport at 9:20am.

According to Kibris Postasi, Cyprus was leased to England by the Ottoman Empire in 1878 after its defeat in a war with Russia. It was completely annexed by England on November 5, 1914, and this was formalised with the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. Greek Cypriots, dreaming of “Enosis” (the union of Cyprus with Greece) since 1821, began to pursue this goal more aggressively under British rule with Greece’s support.

Unable to achieve their goal through diplomatic means, Greek Cypriots formed the terrorist organisation “EOKA” on April 1, 1955. EOKA declared everyone against Enosis as an enemy and launched violent activities, resulting in the deaths of 400 Greeks, 109 Turks, and 100 British by 1958. EOKA’s actions forced residents of 33 Turkish villages to emigrate. In response, Turkish Cypriots formed resistance groups, eventually uniting under the Turkish Resistance Organisation (TMT) in 1958.

The island’s chaos persisted until the Zurich and London Agreements on February 11, 1959, which established the Republic of Cyprus under the guarantorship of Britain, Turkey, and Greece. However, the Greek Cypriot side unilaterally abolished the Turkish Cypriot community’s rights granted by the 1960 Constitution in 1963, leading to renewed armed attacks.

In the “Bloody Christmas” attacks beginning on December 20, 1963, 364 Turkish Cypriots were killed, 103 Turkish villages were evacuated, and approximately 25,000 people were displaced. A particularly brutal incident occurred on December 24, 1963, when Major Nihat İlhan’s wife and children were murdered in their home, an event known as the “Beach Massacre” or “Bathroom Massacre.”

Further violence ensued on August 5, 1964, when Greek forces attacked Turkish Cypriots in the Erenköy region, leading to many deaths. Turkey responded with a limited air operation to prevent further massacres, resulting in the defeat of Greek forces. Turkish pilot Captain Cengiz Topel was captured and tortured to death by the Greeks after his plane was shot down on August 8, 1964.

Turkey’s direct intervention came on July 20, 1974, when it exercised its rights as a guarantor state and launched the Cyprus Peace Operation. A ceasefire was reached on July 22, 1974, following a UN call, but negotiations in Geneva failed due to the Greek side’s refusal to accept demands and the potential threat to Turkish Cypriots. Consequently, the “Second Cyprus Peace Operation” was launched on August 14, 1974, under the slogan “Ayşe should go on holiday,” restoring peace and stability to the island.

The Turkish Armed Forces suffered 498 military casualties and 786 Cypriot mujahideen were martyred during the operations. In a press conference, Prime Minister Ecevit, alongside Deputy Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, expressed hope for the operation’s success, emphasising its goal of securing peace for the nation and humanity.

Erbakan also highlighted the operation’s peaceful intentions, stating that if there was no resistance, it would aid in ensuring world peace. Both leaders expressed their hope for positive outcomes for Turkey and global peace.

Kibris Postasi