5 Turkish Cypriots who were martyred during the Greek Cypriot attacks in the Arpalık village in 1964 were commemorated today with a ceremony at the Tekke Bahçe.
President Ersin Tatar commemorated the Arpalık Martyrs with a message on the 61st anniversary of the incident.
President Ersin Tatar has issued a message commemorating the Turkish Cypriots who were martyred in the Greek Cypriot attacks on Arpalık village on February 5-6, 1964.
In his statement, President Tatar recalled the violent campaign against Turkish Cypriots that began on December 21, 1963, in Lefkoşa, with the aim of eliminating the Turkish Cypriot people and transforming Cyprus into a Hellenic island.
He noted that these attacks soon spread across the island, reaching Arpalık in early February 1964.
“The Greek Cypriot attacks that began on February 5 escalated on February 6, resulting in the brutal martyrdom of our citizens. The people of the village were forced to abandon their homes and flee, leaving everything behind,” Tatar stated.
Referring to the events as a “Black Thursday” in Turkish Cypriot history, he emphasized that the atrocities committed in Arpalık and the loss of innocent lives would never be forgotten.
“As we move forward, we take lessons from the past. Today, we live as a free and sovereign people under our own state, thanks to our martyrs, the heroic resistance of our people, and the support of Motherland Türkiye,” he said.
Tatar reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the dark days of pre-1974 Cyprus, marked by suffering and oppression, never return. “Our goal is to protect our sovereignty and our state, and to ensure that our people are never reduced to a minority under Greek Cypriot rule. We will continue our struggle with determination.”
The president paid tribute to the martyrs with gratitude and prayed for their souls, while also extending his respect to the surviving veterans.