Prime Minister Ünal Üstel on Thursday received the Chief of the Turkish Land Forces, General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu.

The Commander of the Turkish Peace Forces in Cyprus Major General Sebahattin Kılınç was also present during the meeting.

Speaking during the visit, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel emphasized the strong historical ties between Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, describing the relationship as inseparable.

“We are the children of two states and one nation. If our flag is flying in the sky today, it is thanks to our troops and servicemen and women,” he said.

Pointing out that the TRNC provided the Turkish Cypriot people a life they deserved under their own sovereign state and identity, Üstel said that this had only been possible thanks to the Cyprus Peace Operation carried out by Türkiye on July 20, 1974, based on rights stemming from the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee.

Üstel also reminded everyone that Türkiye and the Turkish Armed Forces supported the Turkish Cypriots in the face of the biased stance of the UN, saying, “Thanks to this support, our people in Pile continue to live in prosperity.”

General Selçuk Bayrakraktaroğlu, for his part said that the time had come for the TRNC to take its rightful place on the international stage.

“We are always united and together. The Turkish Armed Forces are always by the side of our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters to ensure their safe living and protect their rights and interests,” he said.