Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Metin Feyzioğlu issued a message to mark the 49th anniversary of the second phase of the Turkish Peace Operation.
In his message, Feyzioğlu emphasized that Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have always been and will always be united.
Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Metin Feyzioğlu issued a message via his social media account to mark the 49th anniversary of the second phase of the Turkish Peace Operation.
He wrote that the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo on the 15th of August 1974 had intensified their attacks against Turkish Cypriots and had begun trying to systematically eradicate them from their villages in the hope of carrying out ENOSİS, or uniting the island with Greece
“Despite the ceasefire, the Greek Cypriot National Guard, the terrorist group EOKA and Greek soldiers systematically intensified their attacks to destroy Turkish villages, carrying out one massacre after the other.
Muratağa, Atlılar, Sandallar and Taşkent sieges and massacres took place” wrote Feyzioğlu.
He said that thousands of Turkish Cypriots, women, children and elderly in order to escape being annihilated, took refuge at the Gazimağusa Castle in the Baykal tunnels they had secretly dug.
“The mass murderers took the ceasefire as an opportunity to strengthen their positions and on August 14, 1974 took action,” said Feyzioğlu.
“When there was no other option, a decision to continue the Peace Operation was taken and the 2nd Peace Operation took place” he said.
“To say ‘the first operation was OK, but the second one was to take territory’ is to distort history. It is an injustice to the glorious resistance and national struggle of the Turkish Cypriots and to Türkiye, which has always stood by the Turkish Cypriots.
I commemorate all our martyrs and veterans who have passed away. I wish our living veterans many healthy years. Türkiye- TRNC has always been and will always be united” said Feyzioğlu.