Today, the martyrs of Taşpınar were commemorated with a ceremony held at the Taşpınar Martyrs’ Cemetery.
President Ersin Tatar, who attended the ceremony, emphasized the vital importance of the presence of Turkish soldiers and the guarantee of motherland Türkiye for the Turkish Cypriots.
The ceremony began with the laying of flowers on the graves of the martyrs.
This was followed by a moment of silence, a ceremonial gun salute, and the raising of flags accompanied by the Turkish National Anthem.
Gülten Çağla Uluşan, a teacher from Doğancı Primary School, spoke about the significance of the day, providing information on the existential struggle of Turkish Cypriots before 1974.
Mira Özakdenizli, a student from Doğancı Primary School, recited the poem “Bu Vatan Kimin” (Whose Homeland Is This?).
President Ersin Tatar also addressed the attendees, highlighting the significance of the ongoing week, which marks the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Peace Operation.
Tatar emphasized that while the celebrations continue, the martyrs are not forgotten and will never be forgotten.
He pointed out that the martyrs, who sacrificed their lives against the merciless and disproportionate attacks of the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo for the future of their people, are heroes.
Tatar stated that the peace, tranquillity, and security enjoyed in Cyprus today are owed to these martyrs.
“We did not find this peace in Cyprus easily. Before 1974, we endured much suffering and paid many prices. We overcame difficult years by resisting all kinds of merciless attacks,” said President Tatar.
He noted that with the epic written by the Turkish soldiers and the resistance fighters on July 20, 1974, the Turkish Cypriots were reborn from their ashes and continued to live freely and independently.
President Tatar also drew parallels between the world’s silence in the face of the atrocities and oppression in Gaza today and the silence during the 1960s when Turkish Cypriots faced similar suffering.
He remarked that despite the passage of years and changes in world values, global powers remain spectators to oppression.
Criticizing earlier statements by the Greek Prime Minister, who he said south to sever Turkish Cypriots from Türkiye, President Tatar declared, “We will not fall for such a game. We cannot take such a risk. The national cause of Cyprus continues.”
He highlighted the significance of President Erdoğan’s remarks in the TGNA, stating that “neither Türkiye nor the Turkish Cypriots have any appetite for federalism.”
Tatar emphasized that despite many challenges, Turkish Cypriots have always acted with good intentions, but they continue to face embargoes and isolation, confronted with insincere attempts to weaken them and make them subservient.
Stressing that any agreement in Cyprus must include the TRNC as a sovereign Turkish state, Tatar reiterated, “The presence of Turkish soldiers and the guarantee of motherland Türkiye are vital for us.”
The ceremony concluded with prayers for the martyrs.