The Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) Mustafa Şentop slammed the Speaker of the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives Annita Demetriou who drawing a similarity with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, accused Türkiye of being an “occupier” in Cyprus.

Şentop in response to Demetriou’s claims said that Türkiye’s intervention in Cyprus was carried out on the basis of international law and was aimed at preventing atrocities committed against Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Mustafa Şentop hit back at the Greek Cypriot House Speaker Annita Demetriou after she claimed that Türkiye, similar to Russia in the Ukraine conflict, had invaded Cyprus.

Speaking at the Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments in Prague, Şentop described the comparison made by Demetriou as a cheap attempt to distort the historical facts.

Pointing out that Demetriou had made baseless and unlawful accusations against Türkiye, Şentop reminded that Türkiye had exercised its rights as a guarantor power based on the London and Zurich Agreements which formed the 1960 Republic of Cyprus when carrying out its military exercise in 1974.

He reminded that the Turkish Armed Forces had landed in Cyprus to protect Turkish Cypriots who were victims of atrocities and genocide committed by the Greek Cypriots.

“Even today many Greek Cypriots admit that the massacre and atrocities committed against Turkish Cypriots was wrong. In the period that followed both Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriots expressed their readiness for a just solution. It just so happens that the overwhelming majority of Turkish Cypriots had voted in favour of the 2004 UN-sponsored Annan Plan whilst an overwhelming majority of Greek Cypriots rejected the plan, pushing away peace and the chance of a bicommunal existence,” Şentop said.

He also pointed out that the international community, particularly the EU, had failed to keep its promises to the Turkish Cypriot people.

“The fact that we are still discussing these claims here demonstrates that the EU has been held hostage by unrealistic approaches and that it is being prevented from developing a strategic perspective,” the Turkish parliamentary speaker added.

Şentop who took to the floor a second time after Demetriou continued her accusations stating that an “occupation is an occupation”, said that Türkiye had only intervened in Cyprus after Greece had orchestrated a coup on July 15, 1974 with the aim of uniting the island with Greece.

He pointed out that no blood had been shed on the island since the 1974 Turkish Peace Operation and that peace has prevailed since.

“Ms Demetriou may not be old enough to know but her words that there are no rules in international law are not correct. The Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960 and Türkiye was entrusted with the security of the Turkish Cypriot people,” Şentop added.