Turkish foreign ministry extols second phase of invasion

With the message that “it must now be understood that the only solution in Cyprus is a two-state structure”, the Turkey’s defence ministry said in a post on Twitter about the second phase of the 1974 Turkish invasion, the anniversary of which was marked on Sunday.

The second wave of the invasion saw the Turks take Famagusta and Morphou.

“We will always continue to stand by our Turkish Cypriot brothers in their righteous cause!,” said the Turkish foreign ministry’s Twitter post, uploaded in both Turkish and English, according to CNA.

The post refers to the “terrorist organisation’ Eoka “which since 1958 systematically attacked Turkish Cypriots sometimes turning into torture and genocide with savage murders”.

The post said the Turkish armed forces intervened to stop this suffering in July 1974.
“The security of both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots was ensured with the peacekeeping operation in Cyprus, which took place 48 years ago within the framework of the guarantee rights,” it added.

“Those who call the peace operation in Cyprus an occupation ignore the historical facts and try to prevent the world from seeing the massacres that took place between 1958-1974”.

It also claims that the during the “peace operation”, no lives were lost on the island and “peace, prosperity and tranquillity prevail”.

Turkish Cypriot newspaper Avrupa responded to the post saying: “We are one army and one nation. We die for our country without batting an eye. Every page in our history is filled with victories. We are the great Turks fighting for peace!”

It added: “So you without blinking an eye, without a second thought, take lives, right? Cypriots who understand the value of peace today share common feelings. We remember the victims of this war on both sides.”