Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to attend events marking the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, known as Peace and Freedom Day.
"Türkiye is ready to negotiate, discuss, achieve lasting peace, solution in Cyprus", said President Erdogan on Saturday.
Ignoring the realities on the island of Cyprus will lead 'nowhere', Turkish President Erdogan said, adding: "We believe that a federal solution is not possible in Cyprus."
Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye's support for the TRNC, noting, "We continue to support the TRNC, which was formed with the blood of our martyrs, towards becoming a strong, prosperous, and respected state.”
He also expressed hope for the future, saying: "I hope we will see the day when the leaders of the island’s guarantor countries will visit both states together.”
Commemorating Turkish soldiers
Erdogan was welcomed by Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar at Ercan Airport in the capital Lefkosa. Following a welcoming ceremony, Erdogan laid a wreath at the Ataturk Monument in the city and signed the site's special book.
"We are experiencing the rightful pride of reaching the 50th anniversary of the July 20 Peace Operation, which our heroic Armed Forces carried out shoulder to shoulder with the Turkish Cypriot people.
"The Turkish nation once again showed to the world its unwavering commitment to its independence and future through this operation. The Turkish Cypriot people continue their struggle for independence, crowned with victory, with the steadfast support of the Motherland Türkiye, and they look towards the future with hope and confidence," Erdogan wrote in the book.
He also commemorated the Turkish soldiers who "left these lands as their homeland," and extended his gratitude to veterans who fought in the operation.
Decades-long dispute
The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
Ethnic attacks that began in the early 1960s caused Turkish Cypriots to retreat to enclaves for their own safety.
In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.
The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the EU in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.
