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[zan]

Turkish Cypriots celebrate 34th anniversary of Peace Operation

Turkish Cypriots celebrated on Sunday the "Peace and Freedom Day" in the 34th anniversary of Cyprus Peace and Freedom Operation. A Turkish delegation led by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan also attended the celebrations in Nicosia. (UPDATED)


The Cyprus Peace Operation prevented a massacre to be committed against Turkish Cypriots, Erdogan said during his speech at the ceremony held on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the operation conducted in Cyprus in 1974.

"It was a humanistic operation which had no intention other than bringing peace to the island. Everybody should perceive this reality and evaluate history from such perspective," he said.

"The peace operation, which was waged by Turkish Armed Forces depending on international law and agreements, brought freedom, confidence and prosperity to Turkish Cypriots," he added.

In 1974 Greece attempted to annex the island, through a coup attempt. However this attempt was resisted by Turkey in accordance with the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee. Consequently, Turkish Cypriots set up their own Republic, while continuing the search for reconciliation.

The coup staged by the military junta in Athens in July 15, 1974 resulted in further bloodshed in the form of massacres of Turkish Cypriots and through clashes between anti- and pro-coup Greek Cypriot factions.



During the events of 1974 more Turkish Cypriots went missing who remain unaccounted for until today. The intervention of Turkish army had saved many lives on the island. The Greek Cypriot leader Makarios, barely managing to escape, appeared on 19 July 1974 in the Security Council to accuse Greece of an act of invasion and occupation.



MINORITY GROUP

"Nobody should expect Turkish Cypriots to step back from the idea of self-administration, equal status and equal partnership and to accept living as a minority group," Erdogan also said, adding a comprehensive solution could be found in Cyprus provided that such solution was based on the realities in the island.

Erdogan reiterated that a comprehensive solution could only be achieved with a new partnership in which Turkish Cypriot people participate equally and as a founder element.

"Such new partnership will be established on the principles of bizonal structure, political equality and Turkey's effective status as guarantor state," he added.

"We do not and will not accept the continuation of the isolations imposed on Turkish Cypriots," Erdogan said, adding the international community, and primarily EU, should keep its promises to Turkish Cypriots.

Making Turkish Cypriots pay the price for the uncompromising stance of Greek Cypriots was a serious contradiction and a great injustice, he added.

"It is not legitimate to impose restrictions on the party that desires peace and compromise," he said, and added the leaders' reaching a consensus on certain matters during such meeting was a positive step.

Erdogan also said that it was not right to relate Turkey's EU membership with the Cyprus issue. "Cyprus issue should not be used against Turkey's EU accession process," he said.

Erdogan, Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and other high-level officials earlier on Sunday laid a wreath on "Bogaz Martyrdom", the Anatolian Agency reported.

Turkish prime minister later laid a wreath on Ataturk's Monument in Nicosia, and signed the special register, it added.



Erdogan was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek, State Minister Murat Basesgioglu, Economy Minister Mehmet Simsek, Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker, Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim and Environment Minister Veysel Eroglu in his visit to Cyprus.



EMPHASIS ON SOVEREIGNITY



Turkish Cypriot people had never been a minority, and would never be so, Talat told at the ceremony, adding it is out of question for Turkish Cypriots to leave the sovereignty to the Greek Cypriot administration.

Talat said Turkish Cypriots wanted to integrate to world, preserving what it had gained with July 20 peace operation.



"Therefore, we want to reach an honorable and esteemed solution with the Greek Cypriot people, with whom we have to share our island," he was quoted by the Anatolian Agency as saying.

Talat said that Turkish Cypriot people proved that they backed a fair and sustainable settlement in simultaneous referenda held in the island on a reunification plan on April 24, 2004.



He also reiterated that his country's vision for a solution was political equality of the two nations, equal status of two founder states, and establishment of a new bi-zonal partner state.



He said Turkey's status as a guarantor state should be maintained in any settlement, adding unsolved Cyprus problem firstly affected Turkish Cypriots because they were living under isolation.



"However, solution of Cyprus problem is a must for regional and world peace," Talat said, and added Greek Cypriot administration should give up using Cyprus problem as an obstacle before Turkey's European Union (EU) membership path.

Talat once more reiterated that presence of Turkish army in the island was not a reason of the Cyprus problem, but it was an outcome of the problem, adding that therefore, it was out of question to send the Turkish army from the island before the problem was solved.



TURKISH PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE



Turkey's President Abdullah Gul sent on Sunday a message to Talat to celebrate his Peace and Freedom Day, his office said.



"There are two politically-equal nations, democracies and states in Cyprus," Gul said in his message, adding peace and tranquility could be secured in Cyprus only by a solution based on facts in the island.



"Turkey, as a guarantor state, backs the target to establish a new partnership in Cyprus," Gul also said.

[Oracle]

Hhhmmmmm ....

[zan]

Someone had to make an HONEST woman of you Stella......."I will not return unless Zan returns" Quote quote!!!!

[Oracle]

Someone had to make an HONEST woman of you Stella......."I will not return unless Zan returns" Quote quote!!!!

I never said that .....

When where why how which who ?

[Magnus]

Yay! More propaganda!

"It was a humanistic operation which had no intention other than bringing peace to the island.

'Peaceful' Operations don't generally kill thousands of people, displace hundreds of thousands from their homes and set up illegal regimes on other people's land for 34 years.

"The peace operation, which was waged by Turkish Armed Forces depending on international law and agreements, brought freedom, confidence and prosperity to Turkish Cypriots," he added.

How nice for Turkish Cypriots. What did it bring to the Greek Cypriot majority population? Don't bother answering, I already know.

"Such new partnership will be established on the principles of bizonal structure, political equality and Turkey's effective status as guarantor state," he added.

So you can stage another invasion 'under your rights as a guarantor' a few months down the line? I don't think so.

"We do not and will not accept the continuation of the isolations imposed on Turkish Cypriots," Erdogan said, adding the international community, and primarily EU, should keep its promises to Turkish Cypriots.

You've got no say in how long isolations continue so it doesn't matter if you 'accept' them or not. There's nothing you can do about it.

"It is not legitimate to impose restrictions on the party that desires peace and compromise," he said, and added the leaders' reaching a consensus on certain matters during such meeting was a positive step.

It is also not legitimate to ethnically cleanse people from their land and set up puppet regimes. You only pretend to want 'peace and compromise' because Turkey wants EU entry.

Erdogan also said that it was not right to relate Turkey's EU membership with the Cyprus issue. "Cyprus issue should not be used against Turkey's EU accession process," he said.

Boo hoo hoo, please let us in the EU.

Talat said Turkish Cypriots wanted to integrate to world, preserving what it had gained with July 20 peace operation.

Translation: we want to keep everything we've stolen but we also want to be in the EU.

"Therefore, we want to reach an honorable and esteemed solution with the Greek Cypriot people, with whom we have to share our island," he was quoted by the Anatolian Agency as saying.

Oh yes, because Turks are well known for being 'honourable'

Talat said that Turkish Cypriot people proved that they backed a fair and sustainable settlement in simultaneous referenda held in the island on a reunification plan on April 24, 2004.

You backed it because it basically legitimised your invasion and gave you everything. Hardly fair and definitely not sustainable.

He said Turkey's status as a guarantor state should be maintained in any settlement, adding unsolved Cyprus problem firstly affected Turkish Cypriots because they were living under isolation.

Not a chance. We've seen what happens with Turkey as a 'guarantor'.

[zan]

Nice to see an introvert in our midst You need to read a little more about your own Magnus before talking about honour...

[Magnus]

Nice to see an introvert in our midst You need to read a little more about your own Magnus before talking about honour...

I'm sure you don't need me to make a list of all Mama Turkiye's attempts at ethnic cleansing and genocide as well as her track record of human rights violations. These are the actions of barbarians, not honourable people.

Maybe 'honour' has a different definition in a Turkish dictionary.

[zan]

Nice to see an introvert in our midst You need to read a little more about your own Magnus before talking about honour...

I'm sure you don't need me to make a list of all Mama Turkiye's attempts at ethnic cleansing and genocide as well as her track record of human rights violations. These are the actions of barbarians, not honourable people.

Maybe 'honour' has a different definition in a Turkish dictionary.

It seems that only the Greek version is talented enough to change as to who it is referring to. Alexander the saint comes to mind...

[Magnus]

Nice to see an introvert in our midst You need to read a little more about your own Magnus before talking about honour...

I'm sure you don't need me to make a list of all Mama Turkiye's attempts at ethnic cleansing and genocide as well as her track record of human rights violations. These are the actions of barbarians, not honourable people.

Maybe 'honour' has a different definition in a Turkish dictionary.

It seems that only the Greek version is talented enough to change as to who it is referring to. Alexander the saint comes to mind...

Oh right, so it's okay for Turkey to commit crimes in the modern age because the ancients committed similar crimes? So much for progress and evolution. Neve rmind, maybe in a few thousand years you might catch up to the twenty-first century.

[zan]

Nice to see an introvert in our midst You need to read a little more about your own Magnus before talking about honour...

I'm sure you don't need me to make a list of all Mama Turkiye's attempts at ethnic cleansing and genocide as well as her track record of human rights violations. These are the actions of barbarians, not honourable people.

Maybe 'honour' has a different definition in a Turkish dictionary.

It seems that only the Greek version is talented enough to change as to who it is referring to. Alexander the saint comes to mind...

Oh right, so it's okay for Turkey to commit crimes in the modern age because the ancients committed similar crimes? So much for progress and evolution. Neve rmind, maybe in a few thousand years you might catch up to the twenty-first century.

I was being hidden in the bathroom at the age of three waiting to be murdered by Greeks and you have the cheek to tell me of ancient wrongs... What a crock of shit!!!