Yılmaz: Cyprus Solution Requires Recognition of Two States

A military parade was held on Dr. Fazıl Küçük Boulevard in Nicosia as part of the 52nd anniversary commemorations of the July 20, 1974 Peace Operation. President Tufan Erhürman and Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz addressed the ceremony.

Cevdet Yılmaz

Yılmaz said no initiative that excludes Turkey or ignores the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people could succeed, adding: "The motherland and guarantor Turkey will continue to stand by the TRNC so that the Turkish Cypriot people can live freely, with dignity and in security under the roof of their own state."

He said a just, lasting and sustainable settlement in Cyprus could only be achieved through the recognition of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two states, arguing that proposals reducing Turkish Cypriots to minority status and leaving their future to the will of the Greek Cypriot side would not produce a solution.

"The side that dismantled the partnership established on the basis of political equality and sowed the seeds of hostility between the two peoples has never been the Turkish Cypriot people," Yılmaz said, calling on the international community to hear the voice of the Turkish Cypriot people, respect their will and end what he described as decades of unjust practices.

He said that, with the strong support of the motherland and guarantor Turkey, the Turkish Cypriot people would continue to live in freedom, prosperity and security in their homeland under their national flag, adding: "Cyprus will never become a Greek Cypriot island."

Referring to the isolation imposed on Turkish Cypriot youth, Yılmaz said they would not allow young people to become disconnected from the world or have their opportunities restricted.

"Even if some seek to close doors, we will open new ones and continue on our path," he said.

"Turkey Has Fulfilled Its Historical, Legal and Humanitarian Responsibility"

Addressing the ceremony marking the Peace and Freedom Day on Dr. Fazıl Küçük Boulevard, Yılmaz congratulated the Turkish Cypriot people on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation and conveyed the greetings of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Turkish nation.

He paid tribute to the Turkish Cypriot martyrs, Turkish soldiers and Turkish Cypriot fighters who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom, while expressing gratitude to veterans.

Yılmaz also commemorated former Turkish Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit, former Deputy Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, Alparslan Türkeş and other statesmen who played key roles in the 1974 operation.

He also paid tribute to Dr. Fazıl Küçük and the Founding President of the TRNC, Rauf Raif Denktaş, saying: "The struggle for existence they led was crowned by Turkey's decisive intervention on July 20, 1974."

"Through the Cyprus Peace Operation, Turkey fulfilled the historical, legal and humanitarian responsibility entrusted to the guarantor powers under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee," Yılmaz said, also remembering former Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and former Foreign Minister Fatin Rüştü Zorlu for their contribution to the Zurich and London Agreements.

He said the operation ended what he described as 11 years of oppression suffered by Turkish Cypriots between 1963 and 1974 and established the conditions for them to live in peace and security in their homeland.

Yılmaz argued that the 52 years since the operation had demonstrated both the legitimacy of Turkey's intervention and the importance of its guarantor role for peace on the island.

"The presence of the Turkish Armed Forces has ensured more than half a century of peace and stability on the island, allowing the entire island to advance in development and democracy. The presence of our troops has also made a significant contribution to peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean," he said.

"The Turkish Cypriot Side Did Not Destroy the Partnership Based on Political Equality"

Yılmaz said it had never been the Turkish Cypriot side that undermined the political partnership established on the basis of equality or sowed hostility between the two communities, adding that attempts to eliminate the Turkish Cypriot people and dominate the entire island had been prevented by the Peace Operation.

He said Turkey was closely monitoring efforts by some actors to exploit regional tensions by turning Cyprus into part of new military formations.

"We also condemn and reject as null and void the disinformation campaigns carried out by the Greek Cypriot lobby through the misuse of European institutions," he said.

"Those who believe they can now achieve through alliances in the Eastern Mediterranean and disinformation campaigns aimed at distorting historical facts what they failed to achieve through force yesterday are gravely mistaken," Yılmaz said.

"Drawing Cyprus into the centre of regional rivalries will provide security to none of the parties and will jeopardise the stability that has been maintained for years."

"Turkey Will Continue to Stand by the TRNC"

Reiterating that no initiative excluding Turkey or disregarding the rights of Turkish Cypriots and Turkey's legitimate interests in the Eastern Mediterranean could succeed, Yılmaz said the motherland and guarantor Turkey would continue to support the TRNC to ensure Turkish Cypriots could live freely, securely and with dignity under their own state.

"We Do Not Want to Waste More Time on the Same Fruitless Debates"

Yılmaz said negotiations held between 1968 and 2017 had failed because the Greek Cypriot side had been unwilling to share governance and prosperity or accept Turkish Cypriots as equal partners.

He argued that United Nations Security Council resolutions disregarding Turkish Cypriots, together with the Greek Cypriot administration's accession to the European Union, had reinforced this deadlock.

"By accepting the Greek Cypriot administration as a full member despite violating its own principles, the European Union has also lost its credibility as an impartial actor in the Cyprus issue," he said.

Yılmaz said the Turkish Cypriot people, despite doing their part for peace, continued to face unjust isolation and embargoes.

"We do not want to waste any more time on the same fruitless debates. We want to focus our energy on the future of the Turkish Cypriot people. No effort that ignores the realities on the ground has any chance of success," he said.

"The Path to a Solution Lies in the Recognition of Two States"

Yılmaz said the international community should acknowledge that Turkish Cypriots are as much owners of the island as Greek Cypriots, noting that the TRNC had maintained its existence for 43 years with strong institutions and a well-established democratic tradition.

He said creating a framework for cooperation based on the existence of two separate peoples, two separate democracies and two separate states would make a significant contribution to regional peace and stability.

Yılmaz added that proposals reducing Turkish Cypriots to minority status and placing their future under the will of the Greek Cypriot side would not lead to a settlement.

"The path to a just, lasting and sustainable solution lies in the recognition of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two states," he said, calling on the international community to hear the voice of the Turkish Cypriot people, respect their democratic will and end what he described as longstanding unjust practices.