Ceremonies are being held to commemorate the Second Phase of the Peace Operation, which saved the Turkish Cypriots from mass slaughter, provided them with freedom and security, and defined the borders of the TRNC as they are today.

Two separate memorial ceremonies were held on Wednesday for the 126 Turkish Cypriots who were martyred in the massacre carried out in the villages of Muratağa-Sandallar and Atlılar on August 14, 1974.

In his speech at the ceremony, President Ersin Tatar said, “Our grief is profound; it will always be in our hearts. We have never forgotten the great genocide movement, we will not forget, and we will not let others forget because we owe our presence here to them.”

The Martyrs of Muratağa, Sandallar, and Atlılar were commemorated with a ceremony.

The ceremony began with the placing of wreaths at the martyrs’ memorial according to the protocol sequence. This was followed by a moment of silence, a salute of respect, and the flags were raised to the national anthem.

In his speech at the ceremony, President Ersin Tatar stated that the massacres in Muratağa, Sandallar, and Atlılar were examples of rare genocides in the world.

President Tatar condemned the lack of prosecution for the perpetrators of the genocide, asserting that it was carried out by the Greek Cypriot administration, police, and military of that time.

Stressing that peace came to the island with the Peace Operation on July 20, 1974, he said the recent events in Gaza highlighted the value of freedom.

The President prayed for the martyrs and added that, as with the Muratağa-Sandallar Martyrs’ Cemetery, DNA tests will ensure that the martyrs at the Atlılar Martyrs’ Cemetery are buried in separate graves.

The ceremony ended with a visit to the cemetery.