Turkey’s vice-president in north to mark invasion

Turkey will decisively continue defending its rights in the eastern Mediterranean against any provocations, said Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay on Wednesday during his address in the north at the military parade marking 48 years since the Turkish invasion in Cyprus.

Moreover, he announced Turkey’s seventh generation drilling ship, Abdulhamit Khan, with a drilling capacity of 12,200 metres is set to operate in the eastern Mediterranean in August.

“We do not discriminate between our rights and the rights of our Turkish Cypriot brothers. Those fruitlessly dreaming about the Mediterranean or the Aegean under the moonlight should know this well. The hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean are no toy for the Greek Cypriots,” Oktay said.

Oktay also verbally attacked EU commissioner Elisa Ferreira for comments made during her visit in Cyprus.

“Don’t we know that you are biased trying to erase everything about the Turkish Cypriot past even when supporting cultural heritage? What unity, what equal attitude and European values? Fairy tales,” he said.

Regarding the solution to the Cyprus problem, Oktay said that if a solution is to be agreed upon then it must come through the recognition of equal sovereignty and international status of the Turkish Cypriot ‘people’.

“In the negotiations, the two states should jointly determine how they can work together and what kind of future they will build, side by side, on this island of unique beauty. This is the only way for a solution to be had,” Oktay argued.

Following his remarks, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar in his address referred to Turkey’s financial support and to the development brought via the cooperation protocols but also referred to the office of Kurdish Democratic Union Party within the grounds of the Republic of Cyprus, branding it a branch of ‘terrorist’ organisation PKK that “endangers regional security with its relations with the Greek Cypriot administration”.

Notably, Mustafa Akinci was not seated at the official’s platform much like last year, while Mehmet Ali Talat was also in attendance.

Turkish F16 fighter jets also flew in violation of Nicosia’s flight information region (FIR).