The 49th anniversary of the liberation of Lefke is being marked with various ceremonies on Wednesday.
While a parade will be held in the town square to mark the occasion, a ceremony will also be held at 6 pm to commemorate the martyrs who fell during the resistance.
In his message issued to highlight the significance of the day, President Tatar reminded that motherland Türkiye had ended the long-standing captivity of the Turkish Cypriots in 1974, and emphasized that the borders were redrawn in Cyprus, and the Turkish Cypriot People achieved freedom.
“On August 16, 1974, the Turkish military and freedom fighters who reached Lefke put an end to the captivity of the Turkish Cypriot People in the region, preventing a massacre similar to the ones carried out by the fascist EOKA against Turkish Cypriots in Atlılar, Muratağa, Sandallar, Taşpınar, and other areas. The Peace Operation, as stated by the then Prime Minister of Türkiye, also known as Karaoğlan, the late Bülent Ecevit, on July 20, brought peace and tranquillity not only to the Turks on the island but also to the Greeks,” he said.
Highlighting that the Turkish Cypriot People will never forget the struggles that brought them freedom, Tatar added, “Today, as we celebrate the liberation of Lefke, we declare to the whole world once again that the Turkish Cypriot People, who have won the struggle to exist and be free in their homeland, will always stand shoulder to shoulder with motherland Türkiye.”
He continued, “Embracing and safeguarding our new policy that declares our inherent sovereign equality and equal international status, and aiming to establish a cooperative relationship between the two existing states on the island in Geneva, in complete harmony of thought and action with the Motherland Turkey, will be our greatest responsibility both towards our fallen brothers and future generations.”
Tatar concluded his message by commemorating all the martyrs and expressed gratitude to all the veterans.